TREASURY

Business: Loans

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what (a) deadlines and (b) benchmarks he has set for banks and other financial institutions to provide more detailed information on gross and net lending to small and medium-sized enterprises, levels of overall lending, disaggregated to institution branch and constituency and postcode level; when he expects this information to be made available; and in what form and how regularly he expects this information to be published.

Greg Clark: The Government agreed to work with the industry—through the British Bankers Association (BBA) and other interested parties—to secure a commitment from the banks that they will publish postcode level data by institution. If it is not possible to agree a satisfactory industry led solution, the Government agreed to introduce amendments to the Banking Reform Bill to ensure that the data is published.
	The Government is currently engaging in discussions on this issue and will provide an update once the discussions have reached a conclusion.

Debts

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of people with debt levels, excluding student loans, of (a) between £0 and £5,000, (b) between £5,000 and £10,000, (c) between £10,000 and £20,000 and (d) more than £30,000.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated 5 March 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what estimate he has made of the number of people with debt levels, excluding student loans, of (a) between £0 and £5,000, (b) between £5,000 and £10,000, (c) between £10,000 and £20,000 and (d) more than £30,000. (145925)
	The Wealth and Assets Survey (WAS) can provide estimates of individual financial debt, which includes all forms of non-mortgage borrowing(1), and arrears on these and/or other household bills.
	
		
			 Individuals with financial debt(1). Great Britain, 2008-10 
			 Level of financial debt(1) 2008-10 (thousand) 
			 Up to £5,000(2) 12,165 
			 More than £5,000 up to £10,000 2,697 
			 More than £10,000 up to £20,000 1,708 
		
	
	
		
			 More than £20,000 up to £30,000 444 
			 More than £30,000 321 
			 (1) Excludes loans from Student Loans Company. (2) Excludes those with no financial liabilities (£0). Source: Wealth and Assets Survey, Office for National Statistics

National Insurance Contributions

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total value is of national insurance contributions above the upper earnings limit primary class 1; and how many pay national insurance above that limit.

David Gauke: It is estimated that there were around 3.1 million UK individuals with annual earnings above the (annualised) upper earnings limit (UEL) in 2011-12. The estimated value of employee (primary) national insurance contributions, above the UEL was £2.0 billion in 2011-12.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Inward Investment

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions she has had with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive on attracting inward investment.

Theresa Villiers: Responsibility for inward investment is largely a devolved matter, but we have repeatedly assured Executive Ministers that the Government will work closely with them to help rebalance the Northern Ireland economy and secure inward investment.

Economic Co-operation

Jim McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps her Department is taking to improve economic co-operation between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, and between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Theresa Villiers: We are making sure that Northern Ireland is fully involved in the programme of work to strengthen economic collaboration between the UK and the Republic of Ireland announced by the Prime Minister and Taoiseach last year. North-south economic co-operation remains mainly the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Executive.

UK City of Culture

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps the Government are taking to support Derry/Londonderry UK city of culture 2013.

Michael Penning: Ministers and officials have been in regular contact with organisers of the Derry-Londonderry City of Culture. Our support has included hosting an event for potential sponsors in the Houses of Parliament in June 2012. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chipping Barnet (Mrs Villiers), was also delighted to attend the opening concert for the year long celebrations in January.

Common Travel Area

Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the operation of the common travel area in Northern Ireland.

Michael Penning: My officials maintain regular contact with the Home Office and UKBA on the operation of the common travel area.
	Our close partnership with Ireland, driven by the joint programme of work agreed in 2011, is strengthening the external border of the common travel area and reducing the numbers of illegal migrants entering Northern Ireland.

Security Situation

Mel Stride: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment she has made of the security situation in Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: While the threat level in Northern Ireland remains at Severe, progress has been made. Excellent co-operation between PSNI and its partners continues to bear down on the terrorist groupings that threaten our communities.

Northern Ireland Bill

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions she has had with the First Minister and Deputy First Minister on a proposed Northern Ireland Bill.

Michael Penning: My Department published legislation in draft for pre-legislative scrutiny on 11 February. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chipping Barnet (Mrs Villiers), has had a number of discussions with the First and deputy First Ministers, along with other political leaders in Northern Ireland, on the matters presented in draft in that paper.

Written Questions

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the procedure and sign off process for responding to parliamentary questions in her Department includes review by special advisers.

Michael Penning: Ministers are responsible and accountable for all answers to parliamentary questions. Special advisers may provide advice to Ministers, as outlined in the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Asbestos

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 16 January 2013, Official Report, column 783W, on asbestos, 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the performance of the Hidden Killer campaign;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with the Health and Safety Executive regarding the Hidden Killer campaign;
	(3)  whether the Health and Safety Executive plans to launch a successor campaign to the Hidden Killer campaign.

Mark Hoban: In 2008, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) launched the Asbestos: Hidden Killer campaign to raise awareness of the danger posed by asbestos and help at-risk maintenance workers avoid exposure. Between 2008 and 2010, four phases of Hidden Killer were delivered, targeted at 1.8 million at-risk maintenance workers in Great Britain.
	Evidence was used to inform the Hidden Killer project from the start with independent researchers monitoring the effectiveness of all phases of the campaign. The Hidden Killer campaign was successful in raising awareness of the issue and encouraging audiences to consider their behaviour. More details on the evaluation of the pilot and subsequent phases of the campaign can be found at:
	http://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/hiddenkiller/finding-out-more.htm
	I have been in discussion with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) about the planning and implementation of a new campaign; HSE is currently carrying out research to inform its development. This research will help with the creation of plans for campaign activity to be delivered in 2013-14, which will seek to raise awareness and understanding of the dangers posed by asbestos and change the behaviour of trades people who may be at risk.

Average Earnings

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average household income was for (a) single parent households in work and (b) married or cohabiting households in work in each of the last 30 years.

Mark Hoban: Information on the average household income for (a) in-work single parents and (b) in-work married or cohabiting couples with children, for the years 1996-97 to 2010-11, is provided in the following table.
	Data are only available on a consistent basis from 1996-97, so no results are available before then.
	Figures have been presented on a median basis. Median household incomes are less affected by outliers, and are therefore generally more commonly used in analysis of incomes.
	
		
			 Money values of median household income for different in-work family types in 2010-11 prices, United Kingdom 
			 £ per week equivalised 2010-11 prices 
			  Median income 
			  Before Housing Costs After Housing Costs 
			  Single with children Couple with children Single with children Couple with children 
			 1996-97 286 378 224 305 
			 1997-98 284 373 222 300 
			 1998-99 277 385 215 310 
			 1999-2000 303 396 241 322 
			 2000-01 331 407 270 334 
			 2001-02 339 423 276 349 
			 2002-03 339 438 285 370 
			 2003-04 364 432 310 366 
			 2004-05 348 434 293 369 
			 2005-06 362 440 300 375 
			 2006-07 353 441 296 374 
			 2007-08 360 444 296 375 
			 2008-09 358 447 297 374 
			 2009-10 375 451 308 381 
			 2010-11 369 435 298 366 
			 Notes: 1. These statistics are based on Households Below Average Income (HBAI) data sourced from the Family Resources Survey (FRS) available at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=hbai_arc This uses disposable household income, adjusted using modified OECD equivalisation factors for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 2. Net disposable incomes have been used to answer the question. This includes earnings from employment and self-employment, state support, income from occupational and private pensions, investment income and other sources. Income tax payments, national insurance contributions, council tax/domestic rates and some other payments are deducted from incomes. 3. Figures are for the United Kingdom from 2002-03 onwards. Earlier years are for Great Britain only. 4. Figures are for families in work. A family has been defined as working if at least one member is working either full- or part-time. A dependant child is defined as an individual under 16 years of age, or an unmarried 16 to 19 year old in full-time non-advanced education. 5. Figures have been presented on a Before Housing Cost and an After Housing Cost basis. For Before Housing Costs, housing costs are not deducted from income, while for After Housing Costs they are. 6. All estimates are based on survey data and are therefore subject to a degree of uncertainty. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 7. The reference period for HBAI figures is the financial year. 8. Incomes are presented in 2010-11 prices and have been rounded to the nearest pound. 9. Figures have been presented on a median basis. Median household incomes are less affected by outliers, and are therefore generally more commonly used in analysis of incomes. Source: FRS

Crimes of Violence

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many assaults there were on staff of his Department in 2012; and how many days of work were lost as a result of such assaults.

Mark Hoban: DWP takes its responsibility for Health and Safety as an employer seriously. We have a range of measures in place to manage risks to our staff in general and some specific ones in relation to unacceptable customer behaviour.
	Despite these measures incidents do occur. In 2012 there were 665 assaults on staff. Over this period there were over 20 million advisor interviews carried out by the Department. When instances do occur they are investigated and lessons learned.
	Our systems do not provide the number of working days work lost as a result of assaults on staff, because it is not a recognised category.

Employment and Support Allowance

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average length of time between work capability assessments for recipients of employment and support allowance is.

Mark Hoban: For new employment and support allowance claims where there was an initial work capability assessment (WCA) and a first repeat WCA, the average duration between the decision maker's decision at the initial WCA and the decision maker's decision at the first repeat WCA was 372 days.
	The data includes claims with repeat decisions taken on them up to August 2012 (the latest data available).

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of disability living allowance recipients affected by the social rated sector under occupancy penalty.

Steve Webb: It is estimated that around 180,000 claimants, where either the claimant or partner are in receipt of disability living allowance will be affected by the social sector under occupation charge.

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of under occupying tenants he assumes will remain in their properties as part of his estimate of savings from the under-occupancy penalty.

Steve Webb: The information requested is not available.
	Where a claimant affected by the spare room subsidy moves to smaller accommodation, it is important to consider a wider perspective than just this one household.
	Where a claimant moves, even if it is into the private rented sector, this frees up accommodation in the social rented sector that can be re-let to other families needing this accommodation.
	Depending upon who this freed-up accommodation is let to, the re-let may also generate housing benefit savings. For example if the new tenant is a housing benefit claimant who would otherwise be renting in the private rented sector, or living in temporary accommodation with a higher rent.

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much of the savings from the social sector under-occupancy penalty will come from (a) households where someone describes themselves as disabled, (b) claimants of disability living allowance and (c) foster carers.

Steve Webb: The Department for Work and Pensions estimates that:
	(a) Around £300 million of removal of the spare room subsidy savings in 2013-14 are expected from households where either the claimant or partner reports a Disability Discrimination Act recognised disability.
	(b) Around £130 million of savings in 2013-14 are expected from households where either the claimant or partner are in receipt of Disability Living Allowance; and
	(c) Around £5 million of savings in 2013-14 are expected from foster carers.
	These groups are not mutually exclusive.

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many disabled people in Leeds local authority area will be affected by the under-occupancy penalty.

Steve Webb: The Department is unable to provide an estimate at local authority level due to sample sizes.

Housing Benefit: Wales

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total value of discretionary housing payments made available to each local authority in Wales was for financial year (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14.

Steve Webb: The Government contribution towards discretionary housing payments in Wales for 2012-13 was £2,506,634. In 2013-14, Welsh local authorities will receive a total of £6,153,629.
	The breakdown for each local authority is as follows:
	
		
			 £ 
			 Local authority 2012-13 2013-14 
			 Blaenau Gwent 49,846 160,251 
			 Bridgend 118,999 279,100 
			 Caerphilly 66,516 292,597 
			 Cardiff 444,302 1,102,669 
			 Carmarthenshire 116,968 280,840 
			 Ceredigion 102,788 163,391 
			 Conwy 131,108 242,700 
			 Denbighshire 102,787 217,194 
			 Flintshire 114,426 242,119 
			 Gwynedd 150,474 241,353 
			 Isle of Anglesey 65,539 136,536 
			 Merthyr Tydfil 32,332 124,556 
			 Monmouthshire 43,585 121,978 
			 Neath Port Talbot 130,358 318,083 
			 Newport 109,584 343,870 
			 Pembrokeshire 94,040 193,940 
			 Powys 61,596 154,975 
			 Rhondda Cynon Taf 170,679 451,301 
			 Swansea 201,137 474,871 
			 Vale of Glamorgan 99,466 219,639 
			 Torfaen 56,709 193,584 
			 Wrexham 43,395 198,082

Industrial Health and Safety

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  whether the guidance to replace the Approved Code of Practice on the Management of Health and Safety at Work will retain the quasi-legal status of the Approved Code of Practice; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effect of removing the Health and Safety Executive's Approved Code of Practice on the Management of Health and Safety at Work; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what proportion of respondents to the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) Consultation CD241 - Proposals to review HSE's Approved Codes of Practice supported the retention of the Approved Code of Practice on the Management of Health and Safety at Work.

Mark Hoban: Approved Codes of Practice (ACOP) are not law but do have a special legal status. If the advice in an approved code is followed in relevant circumstances duty holders can be confident they are complying with the law.
	An ACOP can be an appropriate format for providing advice where:
	there are certain preferred or recommended methods to be used (or standards to be met) to achieve compliance; and,
	the nature of the issue being addressed is such that in most cases dutyholders should be strongly encouraged to pursue those methods (or standards).
	This is not the case for the Management Regulations ACOP where compliance will depend upon the size and nature of the business.
	This ACOP was originally published in 1992 and last revised in 2000. It is outdated, does not offer the preferred or recommended methods Approved Codes are intended to, and was singled out by both Professor Lofstedt and Lord Young as being particularly unhelpful for SMEs.
	HSE will replace this ACOP with a new set of guidance to make compliance for business simpler, enabling them to access information relevant to them and their workforce quickly and easily. The replacing guidance will not have the same special legal status as the ACOP, however, HSE guidance is used by inspectors and frequently admitted as evidence in court proceedings.
	Of the 223 responses received when consulting on this proposal: 102 supported its withdrawal; 22 suggested it should remain in its current form; 90 sought its retention, but accepted that it required revision from its current draft (but did not offer specific, workable, suggestions as to how it could be improved); and, nine gave no clear view. Objections did not address the fundamental point that an ACOP is not an appropriate approach for providing guidance on these regulations.

Remploy: Redundancy

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the statement of 7 March 2012, on employment support, what discussions he has had with trade unions regarding the £8 million promised to ex-Remploy staff to help them find work or access benefits.

Esther McVey: I have had contact with representatives from the Remploy trade unions in face to face meetings, stakeholder events and through correspondence. I have listened and responded to their views and opinions, as I have done with other stakeholders, about the £8 million we have set aside for the People Help and Support Package for disabled ex-Remploy staff, and other issues related to Remploy's disabled employees. In addition, I am pleased that the Remploy trade unions in Scotland have played an active role in the working group set up to discuss the package of support available to disabled people who leave Remploy.

Social Security Benefits

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of people who are not in employment and do not receive jobseeker's allowance or incapacity benefit;
	(2)  what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of people who are not in employment and do not receive any Government support.

Mark Hoban: holding answer 25 February 2013
	In Great Britain 2.4 million people aged 16 to 64 are currently ILO unemployed and a further 8.7 million are economically inactive. Administrative statistics show around 5.1 million people are claiming an out-of-work benefit, although this will include a small number of people in part-time work who retain some eligibility for benefit. There are a round 4 million people who claim either jobseeker's allowance (JSA) or incapacity benefit (IB), including employment support allowance (ESA). Some of those who are not in employment are not eligible for benefits. For example, those in full-time education, bringing up a family, or early retired and not eligible for working age benefits.
	Although not in receipt of JSA or ESA/IB, some claim other benefits, including 500,000 lone parents claiming income support; a similar number receiving carers' benefits and 170,000 on other income-related benefits such as pension credit.
	The number of workless people aged 16 to 64 has fallen by over 400,000 in the past year.

Social Security Benefits

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 12 February 2013, Official Report, column 664W, on social security benefits, on what dates the meetings between his Department and the Department for Communities and Local Government, where the successful delivery of the welfare reform were discussed, took place; who attended; and how long each such meeting lasted.

Mark Hoban: Officials of the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Communities and Local Government meet regularly to discuss successful delivery of upcoming welfare reform. A suite of meetings, hosted by both Departments, includes the monthly local authority association steering group and a number of policy and working groups about universal credit, housing policy and other welfare reforms.
	Exact details of attendance and the length of meetings are not available.

Staff

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff his Department employed in each of the past five years; how many such staff were employed in London; how many such staff were employed in other regions of England; how many posts moved from London to these regions; and what steps he is taking to move his staff to regional offices.

Mark Hoban: The following table shows the number of staff employed by the Department in each of the past five years, split by region/country. Staff employed by the Department in the London region for the past five years is included in the table. Information has been provided in both headcount (by individual) and in full- time equivalent (FTE) staffing. The data are as at 31 March for each of the past years and for 31 December for the current financial year.
	
		
			 Region/country March 2009 March 2010 March 2011 March 2012 December 2012(2) 
			 Headcount staffing by region/country      
			 London 11,066 13,049 11,674 10,479 10,434 
			 East of England 5,469 6,647 5,955 5,424 5,372 
			 East Midlands 6,323 7,225 6,641 6,074 6,158 
			 North East 10,988 11,713 10,761 10,153 10,860 
			 North West 21,202 22,759 21,531 19,558 20,573 
			 Scotland 11,055 12,219 11,140 10,344 11,737 
			 South East 6,652 7,835 7,292 6,454 7,266 
			 South West 5,777 6,719 6,082 5,324 6,442 
			 Wales 7,269 7,750 6,869 6,522 6,566 
			 West Midlands 9,177 10,670 9,391 8,676 9,675 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 11,985 13,463 12,108 10,945 11,061 
			 Unassigned(1) — — 1 5 343 
			 DWP total 106,963 120,069 109,445 99,958 106,487 
			       
			 Full-time equivalent staffing by region/country      
			 London 10,332 12,274 10,866 9,676 9,637 
			 East of England 4,872 5,979 5,291 4,774 4,703 
			 East Midlands 5,623 6,482 5,872 5,303 5,374 
			 North East 9,875 10,450 9,458 8,810 9,420 
			 North West 19,104 20,601 19,308 17,369 18,186 
			 Scotland 10,113 11,210 10,081 9,294 10,484 
			 South East 5,915 7,045 6,485 5,675 6,379 
			 South West 5,111 5,995 5,354 4,635 5,592 
			 Wales 6,587 7,044 6,174 5,829 5,867 
			 West Midlands 8,220 9,660 8,344 7,640 8,432 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 10,731 12,116 10,730 9,616 9,707 
			 Unassigned(1) — — 1 5 316 
			 DWP total 96,481 108,856 97,963 88,626 94,097 
			 (1) Staff not assigned to a region/country at the time of the data extract. System-based data cleansing action is ongoing to address. (2 )Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission functions moved to DWP on 1 August 2012. Its responsibilities are now undertaken by Child Maintenance Group (CMG) and staffing for CMG has been included in departmental staffing from this date. 
		
	
	The location of posts in the Department is based on business and operational requirements. There is not currently, and there has not been over the last five years, any formal programme to relocate posts from London to other regions.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the expected savings to the Exchequer under universal credit are estimated to be in (a) 2014-15, (b) 2015-16, (c) 2016-17 and (d) 2017-18.

Mark Hoban: Universal credit expenditure will be higher in all years than what would have been spent on the benefits it replaces: income-based jobseeker's allowance, income related employment support allowance; income support; tax credits and working-age housing benefit.
	The marginal cost of universal credit is published on the website of the Department under the following address:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/index.php?page=expenditure
	The relevant figures are available in Table 1a of the “Medium term forecast for all DWP benefits”.

Universal Credit

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to improve internet take-up among those who will move onto universal credit.

Mark Hoban: For those who lack the skills or confidence to use online services, Jobcentre Plus advisers are helping them to develop their digital skills, often in partnership with local charities, libraries and businesses. We are also working with partners such as Digital Unite, UK Online and GoON to develop digital skills more widely across society.

Universal Credit

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is on supporting people to use universal credit online; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: We will use our existing phone and face-to-face channels to signpost people to digital options and help people to use digital services where they are having difficulties.

Universal Credit

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he plans to give additional support to charities that will be helping those applying for universal credit online.

Mark Hoban: DWP is committed to working with the advice sector and other stakeholders to ensure the success of the Government's welfare reform programme and to understand the demands placed on the advice sector.
	The recently published UC Framework for Local Support Services makes clear that we will be providing local support for claimants by working in Partnership with local authorities and their supply chains, which will frequently include charities. We do not yet have a final funding instrument for services to be provided under the framework so I cannot give further specific details at this time as to how funding for this kind of activity would operate.

Universal Credit

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect of online applications for universal credit on people's ability to apply for universal credit.

Mark Hoban: A survey of existing claimants found 78% already use the internet and 74% have a home broadband connection. We will use our existing phone and face-to-face channels to signpost people to digital options and help people to use digital services where they are having difficulties.
	Jobcentre Plus advisers are helping people who lack the skills or confidence to use online services to develop their digital skills, often in partnership with local charities, libraries and businesses.
	The Department is installing Internet Access Devices (IADs) in Jobcentres for those who do not have their own computer, and we will ensure that digital skills are a key part of the support offered to jobseekers to help them back to work. At present, 706 sites have had IADs installed. In total this will provide 2,167 new devices for our customers.
	We are also working in partnership with other Government Departments and organisations to increase digital skills among disadvantaged groups, and with partners such as Digital Unite, UK online and GoON to develop digital skills more widely across society. We will offer claimants the option to claim via telephone or in person, which will include the provision of assisted or one-to-one support.

Work Capability Assessment

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many appeals against decisions on entitlement to employment and support allowance following a work capability assessment were resolved within (a) three, (b) three to six, (c) six to nine, (d) nine to 12 and (e) over 12 months in each year since 2009.

Mark Hoban: The information is not readily available and has not previously been published as official statistics. We will consider whether it is feasible to produce the statistics requested within the disproportionate cost limit and, if so, will issue them in an official statistics release in accordance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

Work Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will publish the next Work Programme Statistical Release.

Mark Hoban: The next release of Work programme statistics will be in May 2013. The future release frequency is under review, and we aim to release complete end of year figures (to the end of March 2013) sooner than November 2013.
	When a final date has been decided it will be announced on the ONS release calendar found via this link:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/hub/release-calendar/index.html
	and the Work programme landing page:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=wp

SCOTLAND

Infrastructure

Margaret Curran: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which infrastructure projects in (a) Scotland and (b) Glasgow East constituency have benefited from the Infrastructure Guarantee programme; what the location is of each project; and what the value of support offered is for each.

Michael Moore: No UK projects have yet been approved for a guarantee at this stage. When a guarantee is issued, Parliament will be notified in the form of a written ministerial statement. However, details on the amount will remain confidential.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Confiscation Orders

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many confiscations were made under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 worth (a) £1,000 to £9,999, (b) £10,000 to £99,999, (c) £100,000 to £999,999 and (d) £1 million or more.

Jeremy Browne: holding answer 5 March 2013
	The number of confiscation orders made under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 since it came into effect is as follows:
	
		
			  Confiscation orders made under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 
			 £1,000 to £9,999 10,285 
			 £10,000 to £99,999 6,527 
			 £100,000 to £999,999 1,515 
			 £1 million or more 98

Customs: Airports

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what records are kept by HM Revenue and Customs following covert searches of baggage of passengers at UK airports.

Mark Harper: Officers who examine baggage in the absence of passengers are instructed to keep a record in their official notebook of every bag they search or every bag they witness being searched and the outcome (even when nothing is found). Similarly, senior officers who authorise these searches are instructed to keep a record of authorities issued.

Customs: Airports

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department has given guidance to HM Revenue and Customs staff on the conduct of a covert bag search when written authority from a senior officer has not been secured.

Mark Harper: Border Force has agreed operational instructions with HM Revenue and Customs for when a bag is examined in the absence of the owner.
	In urgent cases, when it is not operationally possible to get written authority from a senior officer, a customs official in Border Force or a customs officer in HM Revenue and Customs may search a bag on his or her own authority. This would be where, in the officer's professional opinion, there is an imminent risk of an offence being committed or where any delay could result in suspects escaping or evidence of an offence failing to be secured. In these cases the officer will record the circumstances and report the facts to a senior officer at the first opportunity.
	A public code of practice has been issued by HM Revenue Customs and is available on their website: HM Revenue and Customs: Customs checks on your baggage.

Entry Clearances

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many visitor visas were applied for by people from Jamaica in each of the last three years; and how many such applications were granted;
	(2)  how many visitor visas were applied for by people from Bangladesh in each of the last three years; and how many such applications were granted;
	(3)  how many visitor visas were applied for by people from Pakistan in each of the last three years; and how many such applications were granted;
	(4)  how many visitor visas were applied for by people from Trinidad and Tobago in each of the last three years; and how many such applications were granted.

Mark Harper: Data on entry clearance visa applications and resolutions is published on an annual and quarterly basis. Latest figures, by country of nationality and by category, are available in Tables "be.03" and "be.04" of the release Immigration Statistics, October to December 2012, available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Science website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/immigration-q4-2012/

Entry Clearances:

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many visitor visas for people from Bangladesh were decided (a) within four weeks, (b) between four and eight weeks, (c) between eight and 12 weeks and (d) after more than 12 weeks in the last year;
	(2)  how many visitor visas for people from Pakistan were decided (a) within four weeks, (b) between four and eight weeks, (c) between eight and 12 weeks and (d) after more than 12 weeks in the last year;
	(3)  how many visitor visas for people from Trinidad and Tobago were decided (a) within four weeks, (b) between four and eight weeks, (c) between eight and 12 weeks and (d) after more than 12 weeks in the last year;
	(4)  how many visitor visas for people from Jamaica were decided (a) within four weeks, (b) between four and eight weeks, (c) between eight and 12 weeks and (d) after more than 12 weeks in the last year.

Mark Harper: Visit visa applications can be submitted worldwide at any of the UK Border Agency's visa application centres, regardless of the applicant's nationality.
	The figures provided are the processing times for visit visa applications for Jamaican, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, and Trinidad and Tobago nationals in financial year 2011-12, irrespective of where the applications were lodged.
	
		
			 Table 1: Visit visa applications resolved in financial year 2011-12 
			   Applications completed within: 
			 Nationality Applications resolved 0-4 weeks 4-8 weeks 8-12 weeks 12 + weeks 
			 Bangladesh 22,150 20,635 1,115 150 245 
			 Jamaica 7,300 7,180 105 10 10 
			 Pakistan 93,050 91,345 1,495 150 55 
			 Trinidad and Tobago 35 25 5 * — 
			 Notes: 1. All figures quoted have been derived from management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols. 2. The figures relate to visit visa applications from individuals irrespective of where an application was lodged. 3. Applications resolved (i.e. completed) will include those issued (i.e. granted), refused, withdrawn and lapsed. 4. Figures relate to the period 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012. 5. Figures rounded to the nearest 5 (— = 0, * = 1 or 2) and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if she will take steps to increase the availability of student visas for students from the Bahamas;
	(2)  what assessment her Department has made of the effect of recent immigration reform on Bahamian student visas;
	(3)  how many Bahamian student visas were issued in each of the last three years.

Mark Harper: There is no limit on the availability of student visas for students coming to the UK from the Bahamas to study and therefore there are no plans for specific steps to be taken to increase the availability of student visas for students from the Bahamas.
	The Home Office has not made any formal assessment of the effect of recent immigration reform on Bahamian students. As the Prime Minister made clear on his recent visit to India there is no limit on the number of international students who can come to the UK providing they meet basic language and maintenance requirements, and have an offer from an institution licensed by the UK Border Agency.
	Published Home Office visa statistics provide details of the number of Tier 4 student visas issued to Bahamians in the last three years.
	
		
			 Entry clearance visas issued to nationals of the Bahamas by category: Study 
			    PBS—Tier 4  
			  Total study Total study (excl. student visitors) General student (main apps) Child student (main apps General student (dependants) Student visitors (main apps) 
			 2010 53 53 53 0 0 0 
			 2011 58 56 55 0 1 2 
		
	
	
		
			 2012 65 61 55 2 4 4 
			 PBS = Points Based System Note: Data from 2011 onwards are provisional Source: Immigration Statistics, October-December 2012

Human Trafficking

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 5 February 2013, Official Report, column 196W, on human trafficking, what steps she is taking to advise law enforcement agencies of the locations in which victims were found.

Jeremy Browne: holding answer 5 March 2013
	The Government is considering how details of the local authority in which victims are found can be routinely recorded, where appropriate, and shared with local partners.

Illegal Immigrants: Foreign Workers

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many business establishments in (a) Haltemprice and Howden constituency and (b) East Yorkshire have been fined for employing illegal foreign national workers in each of the last three years.

Mark Harper: holding answer 27 February 2013
	The information requested is in the following table. The figures are based on the number of civil penalties served at visited business addresses. Information is not available broken down by county as the data is recorded by regional split only and therefore figures for the North East, Yorkshire and Humber region combined (Northumberland, Durham, Tyne and Wear, Tees Valley, East Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire) have been provided:
	
		
			  Haltemprice and Howden constituency North East, Yorkshire and Humber region 
			 1 February 2010 to 31 January 2011 0 281 
			 1 February 2011 to 31 January 2012 7 229 
			 1 February 2012 to 31 January 2013 2 158 
			 Note: The figures provided are sourced from a UK Border Agency management information system which is not quality assured under National Statistics protocols and is subject to change due to internal data quality checking. Figures provided from this source do not constitute part of National Statistics and should be treated as provisional. 
		
	
	The decrease in the number of businesses served with civil penalties can be explained by employers' increased awareness of the regime together with improved guidance on the UK Border Agency website; and by the providing of clear advice on how to conduct document checks to verify a person's right to work, which has led to an increase in employer compliance. The Agency's work in summer 2012 under Operation Mayapple targeted enforcement activity on overstayers, including students whose leave had been curtailed. This activity drives up compliance across the board. Robust debt recovery processes have been implemented with employers becoming increasingly aware that where penalties are not paid debt recovery enforcement action will commence against them.

Ivory: Smuggling

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much ivory has been confiscated at UK borders in each of the last five years.

Mark Harper: The most recent published data on ivory seized, which was provided to the Environmental Audit Committee on Wildlife Crime, is as follows:
	
		
			 Ivory seizures at the Border 2008-09 to 2010-11 
			  Seizures Number of items seized 
			 2008-09 13 24 
			 2009-10 18 431 
			 2010-11 15 44 
		
	
	The figures and the transcript of the committee hearing can be found at:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmenvaud/140/140.pdf

TRANSPORT

A31: Dorset

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects work to commence on the installation of dropped kerbs at the junction of the A31 with St Leonards Hospital.

Stephen Hammond: holding answer 25 February 2013
	The Highways Agency has no plans to install dropped kerbs at the junction of the A31 with the disused entrance to St Leonard's Hospital. Funding was not allocated in this financial year (2012-13).
	While the agency remains committed to its obligations under the Equalities Act, current funding necessitates that this type of work is more likely to be done when incorporated within larger schemes. Unfortunately, no larger schemes are currently planned and funded for this section of the A31.
	At the junction of the A31 with the current hospital access, work is required to install one set of dropped kerbs. This is the responsibility of the NHS as it is situated on their land and as such, the agency is unaware whether this work is planned.

Airports

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make an estimate of the cost to the UK economy of a mainland European airport becoming the hub for UK flights.

Simon Burns: The Department does not currently hold such data and has no plans to undertake such work.
	However Government is determined to maintain the excellent international connectivity the United Kingdoms currently enjoys. For this reason we have established the independent Airports Commission under Sir Howard Davies to develop recommendations for a lasting solution to maintain the United Kingdom's global hub status. As part of its work the Airports Commission will consider the full range of economic issues around hub airport status.

Aviation: Baggage

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had on the health and safety of baggage handlers, cabin crew and passengers arising from the increase in weight and volume limitations for luggage stored in aircraft overhead compartments.

Simon Burns: We have had no such discussions. Airlines have to ensure that all baggage taken on board an aircraft is securely stowed. Subject to that requirement, it is a commercial matter for airlines to determine the size and amount of cabin baggage that a passenger is permitted to take on board. Passengers will normally carry and stow their cabin baggage themselves and should take this into account when packing.

Cycling: Accidents

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information his Department holds on (a) the number of pedal cyclist casualties attributable to the opening of a vehicle door in (i) 2009, (ii) 2010 and (iii) 2011 and (b) the severity of the injuries received in each case.

Stephen Hammond: The numbers of pedal cyclists injured, by severity, in reported personal injury road accidents in Great Britain, as a result of hitting an open door of a vehicle, or as a result of a vehicle door being opened or closed negligently (e.g. injured due to evasive action), for the last three years are:
	
		
			 Casualties 
			 Severity 2009 2010 2011 
			 Killed 0 1 1 
			 Serious 55 77 92 
			 Slight 413 449 501

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he intends to bring before the House paving legislation in respect of High Speed 2 in the current session of Parliament.

Simon Burns: When parliamentary time allows, it is the Secretary of State’s intention to introduce a HS2 paving bill. Parliamentary time is not available to allow this in the current session. The content of the legislative programme for the third session will be set out in the Queen's Speech in May.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he intends to bring forward a hybrid Bill on the first phase of the High Speed 2 route between London and Birmingham in the current Session of Parliament.

Simon Burns: We do not intend to introduce the hybrid Bill in the current Session of Parliament. As set out in the Department for Transport business plan, we are committed to depositing a hybrid Bill by the end of 2013 to seek the powers necessary to construct and operate the first phase of the High Speed 2 route between London and Birmingham.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether any changes have been made on expenditure on High Speed 2 since the figures set out in the 2010 spending review.

Simon Burns: As part of the Government's comprehensive spending review in 2010, £773 million was allocated to the development of the High Speed 2 Project.
	This has increased to around £900 million, primarily due to an increase in the capital budget relating to property compensation. This increase reflects the forthcoming introduction, subject to the outcome of the recent consultation, of long-term discretionary and statutory compensation schemes for Phase One. The increase in budget was notified to HM Treasury as part of the Department's main estimate submissions at the beginning of 2012.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much (a) his Department and (b) HS2 Ltd spent on High Speed 2 in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13.

Simon Burns: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to my right hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs Gillan) of 28 February 2013, Official Report, column 588W.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much (a) his Department and (b) HS2 Ltd plans to spend on High Speed 2 in (i) 2013-14 and (ii) 2014-15.

Simon Burns: For the financial years 2013-14 and 2014-15, budgets for the Department for Transport and HS2 Ltd have yet to be determined and are going through a process of finalisation.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with local authorities on the introduction of paving legislation on High Speed 2.

Simon Burns: The content of future legislative sessions remains unconfirmed until the time of the Queen's Speech and has not formed the basis for discussion between the Secretary of State for Transport and external groups or stakeholders.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with (a) parliamentary authorities and (b) Ministerial colleagues regarding publishing the Environmental Impact Assessment for High Speed 2 in electronic form only.

Simon Burns: The Standing Orders of Parliament (for private business) require that copies of Bill documentation are deposited at specific locations.
	In order to deviate from the Standing Order requirements to deposit copies of documentation, parliamentary approval would need to be secured. The Government is preparing a proposal, which will be formally presented to Parliament prior to the deposit of the Bill. To inform this work, the proposal was discussed with ministerial colleagues in December 2012 and discussions with parliamentary authorities are ongoing.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration he has given to publishing the Environmental Impact Assessment for High Speed 2 in electronic form only.

Simon Burns: The Standing Orders of Parliament (for private business) require that copies of Bill documentation are deposited at specific locations.
	The Environmental Statement is estimated, in its entirety, to exceed 50,000 pages. The Government recognises that, for HS2, it would be simpler, cheaper, quicker and more environmentally friendly to provide electronic copies of the relevant documents.
	This is something that we are exploring and we are developing a proposal to enable the Environmental Statement to be published in electronic format, wherever possible. In considering whether we would want to publish the Environmental Statement in electronic copy only, we would need to ensure that this would not disadvantage particular groups within society—it is important that all interested members of the public are able to access the relevant environmental information. The proposal will be presented formally to Parliament in due course, prior to the deposit of the Bill.

London Underground

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost of completing the tube modernisation programme in (a) 2015-16, (b) 2016-17, (c) 2017-18 and (d) the next 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Hammond: None. Under devolution the Mayor of London and Transport for London are responsible for London Underground, including delivery of the Tube upgrade and modernisation programme and related cost estimates.

Mayor of London

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for the devolution of additional powers to the Mayor of London; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Hammond: The Government is currently considering the Mayor of London's proposal for the further devolution of inner London suburban rail services to the Mayor and Transport for London. These proposals specifically concern the Southeastern and Greater Anglia franchises.

Motor Vehicles: Insurance

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he (a) has had and (b) plans to have with (i) insurers and (ii) young people to develop proposals to make car insurance affordable for young drivers.

Stephen Hammond: The Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Derbyshire Dales (Mr McLoughlin), and I regularly meet insurers to discuss road safety which includes how we can make car insurance more affordable for young drivers. My officials also meet representatives from the insurance industry regularly. We have arranged an insurance summit on 25 March with interested partners to discuss young driver safety and insurance.

Motor Vehicles: Insurance

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to follow-up on the Insurance Summit held at Downing street in 2012.

Stephen Hammond: The previous Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening), hosted a follow-up summit on 2 May 2012.
	Consequently we are considering several options to reduce the risk of young drivers and in-turn their premiums.
	The Ministry of Justice consultation on whiplash, which closes on 8 March, builds upon the significant reforms to no win no fee conditional fee agreements contained in Lord Justice Jackson's Review of Civil Litigation Costs.
	We have arranged another summit on 25 March.

Motorways: Lighting

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what his Department's policy is on the section of defective motorway lighting columns on the M60 from the River Tame in Denton to Junction 23 in Audenshaw; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what his Department's policy is on the section of defective motorway lighting columns on the M67 from Junction 1 to the River Tame in Denton; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what his Department's policy is on the section of defective motorway lighting columns at the M60/M67/A57 roundabout at Junction 24 in Denton; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Hammond: The Highways Agency's policy is to manage and maintain road lighting to a defined level. The performance requirements in the agency's maintenance contracts recognise that there will be lighting failures and not all lighting units will be lit at the same time. If the lighting falls below the defined level, the contractor is required to rectify the situation within seven days, unless the cause of the fault is such that fault rectification requires substantial remedial works needing extensive planning and scheduling.
	The lighting at Junction 24 of the M60 was inspected on 25 January 2013 and again on 22 February 2013. Work to repair the inoperative lighting units is planned for the last week in March 2013.
	The lighting along the M60 between Junctions 23 and 25 was last inspected on 15 February 2013, and failed equipment replaced during the visit. However, the repairs to some lighting units proved unsuccessful and require further investigations, which will soon take place.
	The lighting along the M67 between Junction 1 and the River Tame, was inspected on 25 January 2013 and again on 22 February 2013. 73 lighting units were found to be inoperative. From these inspections a cable fault has been identified as the root cause of the problem. Further investigations are required to identify a way forward, and the Highways Agency will now programme this work.
	I have asked the Highways Agency to inform you of the results of its investigations once they have been completed. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Motorways: Lighting

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's policy is on the section of defective lighting units at Oldham street/M67 underpass in Denton; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Hammond: The Highways Agency has recently reached an agreement, in principle, with Tameside metropolitan borough council, in respect of their respective maintenance responsibilities, for the fours pairs of lighting units in the underpass beneath the M67 motorway at Oldham street, Denton. This agreement will remove the uncertainty about ownership of and responsibility for lighting the underpass.
	The Highways Agency has agreed to repair the defective lighting in the underpass within the next two weeks and is working with the council to develop a new lighting scheme at this location. The council has agreed, in principle, to assume full responsibility for the lighting in the underpass upon completion of the scheme.

Office of Rail Regulation

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish proposals for reforming the role of the Rail Regulator referenced in his Department's Business Plan as being due for publication by July 2012.

Simon Burns: The Government and the Office of Rail Regulation intend to publish our joint plans for reforming the role of the regulator shortly.

Official Cars

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 25 February 2013, Official Report, column 163W, on transport: official cars, which cars are currently allocated to which Government departments; and what changes in this allocation there have been since April 2012.

Stephen Hammond: The official cars allocated to each Department are as follows:
	
		
			 Official cars allocated to each Department 
			 Department April 2012 February 2013 Notes 
			 Cabinet Office Toyota Prius Toyota Avensis Scheduled car renewal on 17 September 2012 
			 Cabinet Office Toyota Prius Toyota Prius — 
			 Cabinet Office n/a Jaguar XJ New service started on 8 October 2012 
			 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Toyota Prius Toyota Avensis Scheduled car renewal on 17 September 2012 
			 Department for Communities and Local Government Jaguar XJ Land Rover Discovery Vehicle changed on 7 July 2012 
			 Department for Communities and Local Government Toyota Avensis Toyota Avensis — 
			 Department for Culture, Media and Sport n/a Jaguar XF New service started on 21 September 2012 
			 Department for Energy and Climate Change Toyota Prius PHV Toyota Prius PHV — 
			 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Toyota Prius Land Rover Discovery Vehicle renewed on 1 June 2012 
			 Department for Education Jaguar XJ Jaguar XJ — 
			 Department for International Development n/a n/a Own car arrangements for Department 
			 Department for Transport Jaguar XF Land Rover Discovery Vehicle changed 5 September 2012 
			 Department for Transport Toyota Avensis Toyota Avensis — 
			 Department for Work and Pensions Jaguar XJ n/a GCS service ended on 28 September 2012; Department made own arrangement for Secretary of State 
			 Department of Health Jaguar XJ Jaguar XJ — 
			 Foreign and Commonwealth Office n/a n/a Own car arrangements for Department 
			 HM Treasury Land Rover Discovery Land Rover Discovery — 
		
	
	
		
			 HM Treasury Toyota Prius Toyota Avensis Scheduled car renewal on 17 September 2012 
			 Home Office Toyota Prius Toyota Avensis Scheduled car renewal on 1 October 2012 
			 Home Office Toyota Avensis Toyota Avensis — 
			 Law Officers' Department Jaguar XF Jaguar XF — 
			 Ministry of Defence n/a n/a Own car arrangements for Department 
			 Ministry of Justice Jaguar XJ Jaguar XJ — 
			 Northern Ireland Office Toyota Avensis Toyota Avensis — 
			 Scotland Office n/a n/a No official cars 
			 Wales Office Jaguar XJ Jaguar XJ —

Railway Stations: Disability

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what legal obligations there are on Network Rail with regard to the provision of increased disabled access in railway stations undergoing routine repair and renovation work.

Norman Baker: "Accessible Train Station Design for Disabled People: A Code of Practice" is published by the Department pursuant to Section 71B of the Railways Act 1993. It sets out European and domestic standards that licensed operators, including Network Rail, must meet whenever they install, renew or replace infrastructure or facilities at stations. Where an operator cannot comply with these standards they can apply to the Department for a dispensation. Operators who breach the conditions of their licence can face enforcement action from the Office of Rail regulation under Sections 55 to 58 of the Act.

Railways: Greater London

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what options he has identified for increasing capacity in train routes serving London up to 2019; which such projects have secured funding; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The Government's specification for the additional demand to be met up to 2019 on train routes serving London is set out in our rail investment strategy published in July 2012. Network Rail set out the rail industry proposals for increasing train and route capacity into London within its strategic business plan, published on 7 January 2013. The independent Office of Rail Regulation is determining the extent to which these proposals are required and should be funded. It expects to publish its draft determination in June.

Roads

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  when he expects to develop and publish a national roads strategy for consultation referred to in his Department's Business Plan as being due for publication by December 2012;
	(2)  when he expects to commence a feasibility study into new ownership and financing models for the national road network referred to in his Department's Business Plan as being due for publication by December 2012.

Stephen Hammond: We are currently working on proposals for our national roads, and will publish our proposals in the near future.

Roads: Greater London

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the cost of delays on the strategic road network administered by the Highways Agency in London in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the cost of delays on the (a) motorway network in England and Wales and (b) M25 in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Hammond: No estimates have been made for the costs of delays on the (a) motorway network in England and Wales and (b) M25 in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12 or on the strategic road network in London in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12.
	However, using the Department for Transport's National Transport Model we have estimated that the time cost of congestion on the strategic road network in England (motorways and trunk roads) was at least £2 billion in 2010. This is the cost of time lost from travelling at less than free-flow speeds due to congestion. This is a lower cost estimate as it does not include any costs of congestion on journey time reliability, fuel consumption, emissions or wider economic impacts.

Transport

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish the transport strategy according to his Department's Business Plan due for publication by December 2012.

Patrick McLoughlin: As indicated on the No. 10 transparency website we plan to publish the Transport Strategy in 2013.

Transport: Greater London

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost of infrastructure projects in London identified as crucial to achieve economic growth; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Hammond: Under devolution the Mayor and Transport for London (TFL) are responsible for transport policy and strategy in the capital. However, the Government recognises the importance of investing in London's transport network, to generate employment and support economic growth. We support this through an annual Transport Grant, totalling £2.8 billion for the year 2012-13, and hold regular discussions with TFL about its long term infrastructure plans. The Government's £4.5 billion investment in the Tube Upgrade over the current spending review period has already shown significant benefits, including up to 33% more capacity on key lines and a significant reduction in delays since 2008.

Written Questions

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the procedure and sign-off process for responding to parliamentary questions in his Department includes review by special advisers.

Norman Baker: Ministers are responsible and accountable for all answers to Parliamentary Questions. Special Advisers may provide advice to Ministers, as outlined in the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Local Government Finance

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the total amount of reserves held by local authorities in England and Wales;
	(2)  if he will publish a list of the reserves held by local authorities.

Brandon Lewis: holding answer 5 March 2013
	The Department for Communities and Local Government regularly publishes levels of reserves held by local authorities in England. The following table shows the estimated levels of reserves held by local authorities in England at 31 March 2012.
	
		
			  £ million 
			 Estimated schools reserves level 2,412 
			 Estimated other earmarked financial reserves level 12,368 
			 Estimated unallocated financial reserves level 4,068 
		
	
	These figures are from revenue out-turn data for 2011-12 submitted to DCLG by all local authorities in England.
	A table has been placed in the Library of the House showing these figures for each local authority. Both the latest total reserves figures and individual local authority data are available on the DCLG website.
	DCLG does not hold data on reserves of local authorities in Wales.

Right to Buy Scheme

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on extending tenant right-to-buy to housing association homes; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: The Government is keen to help social tenants achieve their aspiration for home ownership where this is affordable and sustainable for them. All social tenants have priority for Government funded affordable home ownership schemes, for example, shared ownership and the FirstBuy equity loan scheme, to help them into home ownership. These schemes can be of particular benefit to those without a right to purchase. Landlords may also offer voluntary sales schemes to assist their tenants to purchase their rented home.
	We are open to representations on how we can further support home ownership.

School Meals: Lancashire

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  which schools under the responsibility of Lancashire county council were supplied with adulterated beef products;
	(2)  which company supplied the adulterated beef products to schools under the responsibility of Lancashire county council.

Anna Soubry: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department of Health.
	Horse DNA was found at trace levels in the samples taken by Lancashire County Commercial Group who took action to remove the product from schools and other premises within their control. In line with their approach on notifications, no information on the individual schools supplied was sought by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) due to the trace levels found on analysis and the prompt withdrawal action taken.
	The FSA advises that due to ongoing investigations, which may lead to legal proceedings, the FSA is unable to release further details at this time about the company that supplied beef products found to contain traces of horsemeat to schools under the responsibility of Lancashire county council.

Wind Power

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what training his Department has provided to the Planning Inspectorate to prepare it to evaluate the arguments and evidence presented at public inquiries relating to wind farms.

Nicholas Boles: In addition to the training set out in the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Daventry (Chris Heaton-Harris) on 18 June 2012, Official Report, columns 695-96W, the Planning Inspectorate ran a two day course for inspectors in January 2013. This course, organised and funded by the Planning Inspectorate, was delivered by specialist practitioners and included representatives from the renewable energy industry and those opposed to wind turbines. Key issues relevant to wind farm evaluation were covered, including noise, ecology, landscape and visual impact, setting of heritage assets, aviation and planning conditions.
	The training provided has been designed to assist inspectors to conduct wind farm casework under all procedures, ie public inquiries, hearings and written representations.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Chagos Islands

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to conclude the exercise required to take stock of the policy towards resettlement which he announced on 20 December 2012 following the European Court of Human Rights ruling on the Chagos Islanders' case.

Mark Simmonds: There is no fixed timetable for the conclusion of this exercise. We want to do a thorough review of our policy and it is in everyone's best interests that it is not rushed.

Israel

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Israeli authorities on incorrect origin declarations for goods imported under the EU-Israel Agreement.

Alistair Burt: We continue to work to take forward the commitment made by EU Foreign Ministers at the meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council on 14 May 2012, reaffirmed on 12 December 2012, to fully and effectively implement existing EU legislation and the bilateral arrangements applicable to settlement products. This includes working with the EU to ensure that settlement produce does not enter the EU duty-free under the EU-Israel Association Agreement, and that settlement products are not incorrectly labelled as Israeli produce, in violation of EU consumer protection regulations.

Middle East

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of civilian casualties in the recent outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Gaza.

Alistair Burt: We received regular reports from our missions in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem during the recent Gaza conflict, drawing on local reporting and wide ranging contacts. We understand that 158 Palestinians and six Israelis were killed during the conflict.

Morocco

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Ceredigion of 12 February 2013, Official Report, column 692W, on Morocco, if he will support the establishment of an independent international human rights monitoring role with responsibility to report to the UN Security Council.

Alistair Burt: We will continue to make clear, including in discussions at the UN Security Council the importance of full respect for human rights in both Western Sahara and the refugee camps at Tindouf.

Morocco

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Ceredigion of 12 February 2013, Official Report, column 692W, on Morocco, if he will raise with the Moroccan authorities the issues that the Saharawi defendants in the Gdeim Izik case were not tried in Western Sahara as required under the Geneva Convention.

Alistair Burt: We have followed this case closely and have discussed it with the Moroccan authorities. We note the Moroccan National Human Rights Council's preliminary findings, which indicate that the trial took place amid normal circumstances and followed the proper procedures, but we do also note the concerns expressed by some other observers.

Morocco

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 February 2013, Official Report, column 692W, on Morocco, if he will raise with the Moroccan government the need to investigate allegations of torture being used to obtain evidence from the Saharawi defendants in the trial in the Gdeim Izik case.

Alistair Burt: We closely followed the Gdeim Izik trial and continue to monitor the emerging reports. We are concerned by the allegations of torture which have been noted by a number of observers of the trial, including the Moroccan National Human Rights Council. We discuss these issues in our regular dialogue with the Moroccan authorities at ministerial and official level.

North Korea

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his counterparts in other countries on the human rights record in North Korea.

Hugo Swire: I discussed the abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korea with the Senior Parliamentary Vice Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sunichi Suzuki during my visit to Tokyo in January 2013. In February 2013, I discussed North Korea's human rights record with Foreign Minister-designate to the Republic of Korea, Yun Byung-se.
	The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), recently discussed the UK and Australia's shared commitment to strengthening the international response to human rights in North Korea during the Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations in January 2013.
	British diplomats in Geneva have had regular and recent discussions on the proposal to set up an independent international inquiry into human rights abuses in North Korea. The EU and Japan will present the proposal to the current session of the UN Human Rights Council, later this month.

North Korea

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the government of North Korea on its human rights record.

Hugo Swire: In December 2012, I met the North Korean ambassador and emphasised the importance of North Korea improving its overall human rights record. The ambassador confirmed that North Korea had no plans to change its current approach to human rights.
	The British embassy in Pyongyang also takes every opportunity available to raise our concerns with the North Korean Government. The UK also supports the annual resolutions tabled at the UN General Assembly and the DPRK is listed as a country of concern in our annual human rights report. The UK, along with the rest of the EU and Japan will propose to the current session of the Human Rights Council that the UN set up an independent international investigation into the human rights situation in North Korea.

North Korea

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in North Korea.

Hugo Swire: The Department for International Development (DFID) and the British embassy in Pyongyang are in contact with agencies working in North Korea and continue to monitor the humanitarian situation closely, in partnership with multilateral humanitarian organisations.
	Whilst North Korea still faces food shortages, a World Food programme food security assessment in September/October last year indicated that food production had increased. In addition, a nutrition survey undertaken by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in 10 provinces in September/October indicated that levels of acute malnutrition had slightly declined. Whilst obtaining reliable data for North Korea is particularly difficult, the current information that we have does not suggest there is a widespread famine in the country.
	The British Government continues to have concerns about North Korea's prioritisation of spending on its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, rather than investing in infrastructure which could improve the distribution and availability of food for its people.

North Korea

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the human rights record of North Korea.

Hugo Swire: The human rights record of North Korea remains amongst the worst in the world. It is still a country of concern in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy, a copy of which was laid before the House in April last year. We will be publishing the new annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy shortly. North Korea will remain a country of concern.
	In his report to the UN General Assembly in September 2012, the UN Special Rapporteur noted the continued widespread and systematic human rights abuses in North Korea. The UK agrees with his assessment and has brought his report to the attention of the North Korean Government.
	In January 2013, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights released a statement expressing strong concerns about human rights in North Korea, particularly the use of political prison camps. She also called on the international community to set up an independent international inquiry into human rights abuses in North Korea. The UK shares her concerns and. along with the rest of the EU and Japan, will propose to the current session of the UN Human Rights Council that the UN establish an independent international investigation.

Nuclear Weapons

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government will be represented at the conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons in Oslo on 4 and 5 March 2013.

Alistair Burt: After careful consideration, the Government, and the other P5 states, will not be sending a representative to the conference on the “humanitarian consequences of Nuclear Weapons” in Oslo.
	The Government supports fully the objective of a world without nuclear weapons and is committed to working with all nations in pursuit of this shared goal. We fully understand the serious consequences of any use of nuclear weapons and will, alongside our P5 partners, continue to give the highest priority to ensuring that such consequences are avoided. Whilst we recognise the seriousness of this subject and attach the utmost importance to it, we are concerned that the conference in Oslo will divert discussion and focus away from the practical steps required to create the conditions for further nuclear weapons reductions.
	We believe that the practical, step-by-step approach that we are taking to progress multilateral nuclear disarmament through existing mechanisms such as the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and conference on disarmament, have proven to be the most effective means to increase stability and reduce nuclear dangers. We will therefore continue to work together with our P5 colleagues, and non nuclear weapon states, toward strengthening the foundation for mutual confidence and further disarmament efforts.
	We remain committed to working through existing fora, including this year's NPT Preparatory Committee in April, to discuss the issues raised through the conference in Oslo and to explore what further progress we can make by working together to achieve our ultimate goal of a world without nuclear weapons.

Nuclear Weapons: Proliferation

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will call for an international ban on weapons that can set and engage targets without further intervention from human operators once activated.

Alistair Burt: The use of weapons that can set and engage targets without further intervention from human operators once activated is governed by international humanitarian law as enshrined in the Geneva conventions and their additional protocols. The Government is strongly committed to upholding the Geneva conventions and encouraging others to do the same. The Government considers that the existing provisions of international humanitarian law are sufficient to regulate the use of these weapons and therefore we have no plans to call for an international ban. However, we remain firmly committed to their effective control.

Occupied Territories

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications for the peace process of the announcement that more houses will be built in Ramat Shlomo.

Alistair Burt: The UK's position on Israeli settlements is clear: they are illegal under international law, an obstacle to peace and make a two-state solution, with Jerusalem as a shared capital, harder to achieve. We consistently urge the Israeli authorities to cease all settlement building and to remove illegal outposts, as required under international law and in fulfilment of Israel's obligations under the Roadmap.
	In this regard, we condemned the Israeli Government's decision on 30 November to build 3,000 new housing units in East Jerusalem and the West Bank and to unfreeze planning in the area known as El. We have called on the Israeli Government to reverse these decisions. I formally summoned the Israeli ambassador to the UK to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 3 December, to make clear the depth of our concerns. We emphasised our disappointment that Israel had failed to heed our calls for it not to respond to the vote at the UN General Assembly in a way that would undermine the peace process or the Palestinian Authority.
	The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), issued a statement on 18 December condemning approvals for plans to build 1,500 housing units in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Ramat Shlomo.

Occupied Territories

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications for the peace process of the announcement that houses will be built in Givat Hamatos.

Alistair Burt: The UK's position on Israeli settlements is clear; they are illegal under international law, an obstacle to peace and make a two-state solution, with Jerusalem as a shared capital, harder to achieve. We consistently urge the Israeli authorities to cease all settlement building and to remove illegal outposts, as required under international law and in fulfilment of Israel's obligations under the Roadmap.
	In this regard, we condemned the Israeli Government's decision on 30 November to build 3,000 new housing units in East Jerusalem and the West Bank and to unfreeze planning in the area known as El. We have called on the Israeli Government to reverse these decisions. I formally summoned the Israeli ambassador to the UK to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 3 December, to make clear the depth of our concerns. We emphasised our disappointment that Israel had failed to heed our calls for it not to respond to the vote at the UN General Assembly in a way that would undermine the peace process or the Palestinian Authority.
	I issued a statement on 26 December condemning approvals for plans to build 3,150 units in Givaat Hamatos and 1,242 units in Mordot Gilo South, and the decision to upgrade Ariel College to university status, thereby creating the first university in a settlement illegal under international law.

Occupied Territories

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will commission research on the legality of importing produce from Israeli settlements in the occupied territories to the UK.

Alistair Burt: We have no plans to commission research on the importing of produce from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories to the UK. We continue to work to take forward the commitment made by EU Foreign Ministers at the meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council on 14 May 2012, reaffirmed on 12 December 2012, to fully and effectively implement existing EU legislation and the bilateral arrangements applicable to settlement products. There are no plans to introduce domestic or European legislation to ban the import of settlement products.

Occupied Territories

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what legal advice he has sought on whether trade in products from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories breaches the UK's obligation under international law.

Alistair Burt: As my right hon. Friend will know, I am not able to comment on legal advice to Ministers. It is the Government's long-standing view that settlements are illegal under international law. We repeatedly call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and regularly raise our profound concerns over Israel's settlement policy. We will continue to press the next Israeli Government to cease all settlement activity.

Occupied Territories

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to persuade Israel to stop the demolition of Palestinian homes.

Alistair Burt: We have repeatedly made clear to the Israeli authorities our serious concern at the increase in demolitions of Palestinian properties in Area C of the west bank and in east Jerusalem. We view such demolitions and evictions as causing unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians; as harmful to the peace process; and, in all but the most limited circumstances, as contrary to international humanitarian law.

Sri Lanka

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to improve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights in Sri Lanka.

Alistair Burt: The British Government regularly discusses lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues with local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Colombo who specialise in this area. Officials from our High Commission in Colombo attend functions that promote LGBT rights, and the High Commission has held events on behalf of LGBT rights specialist NGOs. Another such event to raise funds for a local LGBT NGO will take place later this month.
	Human rights are universal and should apply equally to all people. We work to uphold the rights and freedoms of LGBT people in all circumstances. We believe that the international community must address all forms of discrimination, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, and promote respect for diversity.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's work in combating violence and discrimination against LGBT people forms an important part of our wider international human rights work. The UK works through our Embassies and High Commissions, and through international organisations including the UN, the Council of Europe, and the Commonwealth, to promote tolerance and non-discrimination against LGBT people and to address discriminatory laws, in particular those that criminalise homosexuality.

Written Questions

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the procedure and sign-off process for responding to parliamentary questions in his Department includes review by special advisers.

David Lidington: Ministers are responsible and accountable for all answers to parliamentary questions. Special Advisers may provide advice to Ministers, as outlined in the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.

CABINET OFFICE

Energy: Employment

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people in (a) Barnsley Central constituency, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) England are employed in the energy sector.

Nick Hurd: holding answer 5 March 2013
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated March 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many people in (a) Barnsley Central constituency, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) England are employed in the energy sector.
	Annual employment statistics are available from the Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES). Table 1 as follows contains the latest figures available, which show the number in employment in 2011 for industries that are considered to be in the energy sector for the former metropolitan county of South Yorkshire and England. Figures have not been provided for Barnsley Central constituency as this represents disclosive data that cannot be published.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Table 1: Employment in South Yorkshire and England for the coal, oil and gas extraction industries and the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply sector 
			 Industry (SIC 2007) South Yorkshire England 
			 Coal, oil and gas extraction industries 1,100 9,500 
			 Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply 1,200 89,100 
			 Note: South Yorkshire refers to the former metropolitan county of South Yorkshire.

Mass Media: Employment

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people in (a) Barnsley Central constituency, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) England are employed in the media sector.

Nick Hurd: holding answer 5 March 2013
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated March 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many people in (a) Barnsley Central constituency, (b) South Yorkshire and (c) England are employed in the media sector.
	Annual employment statistics are available from the Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES). Table 1 contains the latest figures available, which show the number in employment in 2011 for industries considered to be in the media sector.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Table 1: Employment in Barnsley constituency, South Yorkshire and England for defined industries 
			 Industry (SIC 2007)  Barnsley constituency South Yorkshire England 
			 58 Publishing activities 200 1,100 125,700 
			 59 Motion picture, video and television programme production, sound recording and music publishing activities 100 800 95,600 
		
	
	
		
			 60 Programming and broadcasting activities * * 25,500 
			 61 Telecommunications 200 4,500 183,000 
			 Notes: 1. Cells containing an asterisk (*) represent disclosive data that cannot be published. 2. South Yorkshire refers to the former metropolitan county of South Yorkshire.

Overtime

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what his most recent estimate is of the average number of hours worked as overtime in each sector of the UK economy.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated March 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the most recent estimate is of the average number of hours worked as overtime in each sector of the UK economy. 145127
	Estimates of hours worked are derived from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). This has been presented by Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) 2007 sections to provide a breakdown by sector.
	"Average total weekly hours per person (including overtime)" is the total hours worked in the industry by everyone (including any overtime). So everyone in education (3.080 million people) works on average 27.5 hours per week.
	"Average actual weekly hours of overtime worked by people working overtime" is the additional hours worked by people actually working overtime ie everyone in education who actually worked overtime works on average 8 hours additionally a week (this is 1.103 million of the 3.080 million being employed in the education industry).
	"Average weekly hours of overtime per person" is the above but based upon that 8 additional overtime hours spread among everyone in the industry - per person/head). All estimates are for the period October to December 2012 and are not seasonally adjusted.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. This is indicated in the table where possible.
	
		
			 Average actual weekly hours of both paid and unpaid overtime—October to December 2012. Not seasonally adjusted 
			 Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) 2007 Total number of people in employment (thousand) Average total weekly hours per person (including overtime) Average weekly hours of overtime per person Number of people working paid and/or unpaid overtime (thousand) Average actual weekly hours of overtime worked by people working overtime 
			 Agriculture, forestry and fishing 303 41.5 1.2 51 6.9 
			 Mining, energy and water supply 510 35.9 2.1 195 5.6 
			 Manufacturing 2,859 35.7 2.3 1,115 5.8 
			 Construction 2,106 35.9 1.5 542 5.9 
			 Wholesale, retail and repair of motor vehicles 4,022 30.1 1.6 1,203 5.2 
			 Transport and storage 1,434 36.2 1.9 458 6.0 
			 Accommodation and food services 1,475 27.7 1.0 270 5.6 
		
	
	
		
			 Information and communication 1,121 33.8 2.2 425 5.9 
			 Financial, insurance and real estate activities 1,489 33.5 2.2 487 6.6 
			 Professional, scientific and technical activities 1,914 33.5 2.2 656 6.4 
			 Administrative and support services 1,343 30.1 1.2 307 5.4 
			 Public admin and defence; compulsory social security 1,787 32.3 1.4 575 4.5 
			 Education 3,080 27.5 2.9 1,103 8.0 
			 Human health and social work activities 3,902 29.4 1.6 1,305 4.8 
			 Other services 1,537 28.1 0.9 312 4.6 
			       
			 Total(1) *29,790 *31.7 1.8 *9,003 5.8 
			 (1) Includes those who did not state their industry. Guide to Quality in the Labour Force Survey: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 = CV<5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 = CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 = CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ? 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes CV = Coefficient of Variation It should be noted that the above estimates exclude people in most types of communal establishment (eg hotels, boarding houses, hostels, mobile home sites etc.) Source: Labour Force Survey

Public Sector Debt

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the national debt was as a proportion of GDP in real terms in (a) 1997, (b) 2010 and (c) each financial year thereafter to date.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated March 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question, asking the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the national debt was as a proportion of GDP in real terms in (a) 1997, (b) 2010 and (c) each financial year thereafter to date. (145978)
	The answer to your questions can be found in our monthly publication, Public Sector Finances. The latest Public Sector Finance statistical bulletin was published on the 21st January 2013 and may be found on our website at the following location:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/psa/public-sector-finances/january-2013/stb---january-2012.html
	The data requested is located with table PSF1 found on page 37 of the statistical bulletin and also summarised in the table. Although we do not publish debt data in real terms public sector net debt data is published as a ratio of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which allows comparison between years.
	
		
			  HF6W HF6X RUTN RUTO 
			  PSND (excluding financial interventions) PSND (excluding financial interventions) as a % of GDP PSND (including financial interventions) PSND (including financial interventions) as a % of GDP 
			  £billion Percentage £billion Percentage 
			 1997/98 352.0 40.4 352.0 40.4 
			 2009/10 828.7 57.1 2228.6 153.6 
			 2010/11 1001.5 66.5 2241.9 148.9 
			 2011/12 1103.6 71.8 2166.2 141.0 
		
	
	The figures of relevance to you are those for the Public Sector Net Debt (PSND) and Public Sector Net Debt excluding the temporary effects of financial interventions (PSND ex).

Voluntary Work

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 13 February 2013, Official Report, column 721W, on voluntary work, how his Office is exploring the links between volunteering and well-being.

Nick Hurd: The Cabinet Office is exploring the links between volunteering and well-being in several ways. The Cabinet Office and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recently completed an analysis of well-being and volunteering data from the British Household Panel Survey.
	The first findings from the Community Life survey
	http://communitylife.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/
	were published on 12 February 2013 and included data on subjective well-being and volunteering; Cabinet Office will be analysing these more fully in due course. In addition, the National Citizen Service (NCS) includes a volunteering dimension and the evaluation of 2011 NCS participants showed significantly greater increases in participants' well-being, compared to a control group
	www.natcen.ac.uk/study/national-citizen-service-evaluation
	The evaluation of the NCS 2012 cohort will explore this further.

Voluntary Work: Young People

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which National Citizen Service pilot projects charge participants to take part; how much each such project charges per participant; and what the average charge levied to participants was in (a) 2011 and (b) 2012.

Nick Hurd: National Citizen Service (NCS) is a life-changing experience open to all 16 and 17-year-olds across England. In 2011 and 2012, providers were allowed to charge variable fees, depending on the young person's ability to pay. The evaluation from these pilots demonstrated that charging a nominal fee encourages a young person's commitment to the programme. Therefore, in 2013 all providers are encouraged to charge a fee of up to £50 to encourage young people to complete the programme. Full bursaries are also available for young people who cannot afford the fee.
	The following table identifies the organizations who levied a charge of between £35 and £50 for summer 2012, and those who did not levy a charge:
	
		
			 Provider Charged 
			 Challenge Yes 
			 Football League Trust Yes 
			 Petroc Yes 
			 Future Foundations Yes 
			 Partnership Network Yes 
			 Engage4Life Yes 
			 Bolton Lads' and Girls' Club Yes 
			 Academy of Youth Yes 
			 Sefton Yes 
			 Envision Yes 
			 Global Action Plan Yes 
			 Changemakers Yes 
			 Your Consortium Yes 
			 Jewish Lads' and Girls' Brigade Yes 
			 Catch 22 No 
			 Young Devon No 
			 Safe in Tees Valley No 
		
	
	
		
			 vinspired No 
			 Transitions Plus UK No 
			 National Youth Agency No 
			 New College Nottingham No 
			 Connexions Cumbria No 
			 Lincolnshire and Rutland No 
			 Fylde Coast YMCA No 
			 Groundwork UK No 
			 Salford Foundation No 
			 Young Lives No 
			 Luton Culture No 
			 Oxfordshire No

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Lord-Lieutenants

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost of the running of the office of each lord lieutenant in the UK was in each of the last five years.

Chloe Smith: Records held for the shire lieutenancies for 2011-12 show that the average cost of running a lord lieutenant's office was £7,711.32. However figures will vary as the cost to the public purse of running some lieutenancy offices are more expensive than others, some receive assistance from their respective county councils and a few make personal financial contributions.
	It would not be appropriate to provide the individual running costs of each office as this would make public the salaries paid to individuals within those offices. Office costs for previous years cannot be provided as records only make reference to secretarial expenses.
	Records of metropolitan lords lieutenant’s office costs are not available as their funding is based on a yearly bidding system, and they receive funding in advance of each quarter.

EDUCATION

Children: Diabetes

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make it his policy to ensure that children with diabetes have access to an education, health and care plan.

Edward Timpson: The Children and Families Bill includes provision for parents and young people to be able to ask the local authority to carry out an assessment for an Education, Health and Care Plan. The local authority will be required to consider any such requests.
	Not all children with diabetes would necessarily need to have an Education, Health Care Plan, which is replacing the statement of special educational needs (SEN). As with the current system of statements and learning difficulty assessments, the right to a statutory Educational Health Care (EHC) Plan will be triggered in response to a special educational need and not necessarily a purely health related need.

Education: Qualifications

Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to encourage school leavers to view vocational and academic qualifications as being of equal educational status.

Matthew Hancock: holding answer 1 March 2013
	Vocational education is an incredibly important part of our country's education provision. Standards required of students pursuing vocational education must not be any lower, or less challenging than for those pursuing academic courses. Over the past two years, the Government has implemented Professor Wolfs review of vocational education in full. In particular, the restriction of Key Stage 4 performance tables to include only high-value vocational qualifications will ensure parity of esteem between academic and vocational study. The Department for Education will shortly consult on proposals to extend these reforms to cover 16-19 vocational qualifications. Last November I also announced the Government's intention to introduce a Technical Baccalaureate Standard that recognised the highest level of achievement in technical education.
	From September the legal duty on schools to secure independent careers guidance for 13 to 16-year-olds on the full range of education and training options will be extended to students up to age 18 in schools and colleges. An Ofsted thematic review of careers guidance, reporting this summer, will assess the impact of the new duty and Education Destination Measures published for each school and college will encourage them to support pupils in progressing to the next stage of education, training or work.

Foster Care

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he plans to take to ensure that couples who disagree with same-sex marriage will not be discriminated against in the (a) fostering and (b) adoption process.

Edward Timpson: holding answer 1 March 2013
	The Government wants people from all walks of life to come forward to foster or adopt. The statutory frameworks do not prevent people who do not favour same-sex marriage from becoming foster carers or adopters. A person's views would only have a bearing if it seemed likely that these would be expressed in actions contrary to the welfare of a child placed with them or who they might adopt National Minimum Standards for Fostering Services and Adoption make clear that people who are interested in becoming foster carers or adoptive parents must be treated fairly, without prejudice, openly and with respect. If an applicant who is turned down to foster or adopt believes they have been treated unfairly by the local assessment process, they can apply for an independent review.

Primary Education

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education for how many maintained primary schools in England which have received a grading of inadequate in a section 5 Ofsted inspection since the introduction of the new inspection framework in September 2012, his Department has undertaken to find a preferred sponsor for academy conversion (a) at the request of the governing body and (b) at the suggestion of his Department; and if he will make a statement.

David Laws: Ofsted judged 123 maintained primary schools to be inadequate between the introduction of the new framework in September 2012 and the end of January 2013. We believe that the best and most sustainable way for these schools to improve is for them to become Academies, with a strong sponsor. In every case Ministers are responsible for identifying a preferred sponsor, taking into account a range of views, including those of the governing body.

Schools: Armed Forces

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on his proposals to implement a military ethos programme in schools.

David Laws: The Secretary of State for Education, the right hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), has had no specific discussions with the Secretary of State for Defence, the right hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), about the military ethos programme. In 2010 the Secretary of State wrote to Cabinet colleagues for clearance of the Schools White Paper—The Importance of Teaching. This document set out intentions on Troops to Teachers, and the use of service leavers as mentors for pupils. The White Paper can be found at
	http://tinyurl.com/3tawc7x

Schools: Armed Forces

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the estimated cost will be of the military ethos programme.

David Laws: The current cost of the military ethos programme is £26.45 million. £10.85 million will be made available to improve the infrastructure needed to support the expansion of 100 more school based cadet units by 2015. £12.4 million will be invested in Initial Teacher Training (ITT), part of the Troops to Teachers programme, by 2015 to increase the number of service leavers making the transition to teaching. £3.2 million has been awarded to four grants supporting military ethos in schools from September 2012.

Schools: Armed Forces

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what representations he has received on the formulation of the military ethos programme;
	(2)  what representations he has received on his proposed national military skills and ethos programme.

David Laws: The military ethos in schools grants were announced by the Secretary of State for Education, the right hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), on 7 December 2012. The press notice can be found in the following link:
	http://tinyurl.com/ahv3r5u
	Following this announcement the wider military ethos programme received national and local media press coverage, a number of correspondence inquiries and three Freedom of Information requests. All four military ethos grant holders receive regular interest and feedback from schools and parents.

Schools: Armed Forces

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he has conducted an analysis of the potential costs and benefits of the military ethos programme; and if he will place a copy of any such analysis in the Library.

David Laws: The military ethos programme is in its infancy and some of the strands, such as Troops to Teachers and exploration of how free schools and academies can use their freedoms to foster a military ethos, are still under development. Any subsequent evaluation of the costs and benefits will be placed in the public domain.
	The four military ethos in schools grants are regularly monitored to ensure they fulfil their objectives and deliver value for money. In awarding these grants DFE looked at each bid in detail, considering the return on investment in each case. An estimated 300 primary schools, secondary schools, and PRUs are being served by our providers with over 15,000 pupils already taking part, more than 2,000 of whom are disengaged with education.

Teachers: Veterans

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what progress his Department has made in encouraging ex-armed forces personnel to become teachers in (a) England and (b) Northamptonshire.

David Laws: Since the Troops to Teachers policy was first announced, good progress has been made in attracting Service Leavers in to teaching. The Teaching Agency reports that between March 2011 and February 2013 over 7,000 Service Leavers registered their interest in teaching. The numbers of Service Leavers who have chosen to apply for existing initial teacher training courses has also increased: 309 Service Leavers applied over this period, with 123 accepted and currently training. This information is currently collated on a national basis, and at this point, we are unable to provide regional breakdowns.
	Further, during academic year 2012/13, graduate Service Leavers were encouraged to apply for additional employment-based training places on the Graduate Teacher Programme, exclusively to Service Leavers. 20 took up the offer and are currently training in both priority subjects at secondary level and the primary phase.
	The new Troops to Teachers (TtT) programme is being designed to encourage and support Service Leavers in entering the teaching profession. High quality, eligible graduate Service Leavers will be encouraged to apply for School Direct (Salaried) places, and receive additional personalised training. For graduate Service Leavers preferring fee-paying routes, there will be an additional bursary available to incentivise these routes. Troops to Teachers will provide opportunities for Service Leavers without degrees, but with some prior academic credits, to train as teachers during academic year 2013/14 and 2014/15.
	A consortium of schools and training providers (the TtT ITT consortium) has now been appointed. It will work together with the MOD's resettlement contractor to develop and deliver the TtT programme, for recruitment in September 2013/14.
	The opportunities offered under TtT will be linked to market need and jobs in schools, and will be open to Service Leavers in England. Through Troops to Teachers there is capacity to support over 1,000 places during 2013/14 and 2014/15.

Young People: Unemployment

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of young people aged 16 to 18 and not in employment, education or training were in contact with their local authority in November (a) 2009, (b) 2010, (c) 2011 and (d) 2012.

David Laws: holding answer 25 February 2013
	The Department does not collect data on the proportion of young people not in education, employment or training who were in contact with their LA.

Young People: Unemployment

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish (a) the number and proportion of young people in each local authority in England not in education, employment or training in November 2012 who were in regular contact with the authority and (b) the change in the proportion in regular contact with each such local authority since November 2009.

David Laws: holding answer 25 February 2013
	The Department does not collect data on the proportion of young people not in education, employment or training who were in regular contact with their LA.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Prosecutions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many cases of (a) robbery, (b) possession of drugs with intent to supply and (c) indecent images offences the Crown Prosecution Service has prosecuted in each year since 2010; and how many such cases were prosecuted in-house.

Oliver Heald: The records held by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) identify the number of offences in which a prosecution commenced and reached a first hearing in magistrates courts, rather than the number of cases prosecuted. The following table shows, in each of the last three years, the number of offences charged under section 8 of the Theft Act 1968 (robbery and assault with intent to rob) and section 5(3) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (possession of drugs with intent to supply).
	
		
			  2010 2011 2012 
			 Theft Act 1968 (s.8) 18,224 19,774 18,168 
			 Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (s.5(3)) 16,764 16,363 16,088 
		
	
	Indecent images offences may be charged under a number of Acts: section 62 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (possession of a prohibited image of a child); section 160 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (possession of an indecent photograph of a child); section 63 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 (possession of extreme pornographic images); section 1 of the Malicious Communications Act 1988 (sending a communication of an indecent or grossly offensive nature); section 2 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959 (obscene publications); and section 1 of the Protection of Children Act 1978 (sexual exploitation of children through photographs). The number of offences of indecent images charged under these sections in the last three years is as follows:
	
		
			  2010 2011 2012 
			 Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (s.62) 3 141 333 
			 Criminal Justice Act 1988 (s.160) 4,581 3,921 3,902 
			 Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 (s.63) 985 1,335 1,360 
			 Malicious Communications Act 1988 (s.1) 1,164 1,272 1,321 
			 Obscene Publications Act 1959 (s.2) 78 76 17 
			 Protection of Children Act 1978 (s.1) 17,423 16,025 15,887 
			 Total indecent images offences 24,234 22,770 22,820 
		
	
	It is not possible to ascertain, from the central record of offences data held by the CPS, the particulars of each offence, such as whether charges under section 1 of the Malicious Communications Act 1988 related to material which was indecent rather than grossly offensive. A single defendant may be prosecuted for multiple offences.
	The CPS maintains no central records of the number of cases prosecuted by in-house advocates by the specific offence. Such data could not reasonably be obtained locally or nationally other than by examining individual case files which would incur a disproportionate cost.

Prosecutions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what the proportion of Crown Court prosecutions that the Crown Prosecution Service has prosecuted in-house has been in each year since 2010.

Dominic Grieve: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) maintains no central records of the number or proportion of prosecutions in the crown court undertaken by in-house advocates. Such data could not reasonably be obtained locally or nationally other than by examining individual case files which would involve disproportionate cost.
	The CPS does record the proportion of work undertaken across the 13 CPS areas in the crown court by in-house and self-employed advocates by value, in accordance with CPS advocate fee schemes. This record is recorded in the following table:
	
		
			 Crown court advocacy (13 area position) 
			  Percentage of total fee scheme value 
			  Crown advocates Self-employed advocates 
			 2010-11 28 72 
			 2011-12 31 69 
			 2012-13 (April to December 2012) 29 71

Prosecutions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many cases of (a) burglary, (b) carrying a knife and (c) possession of an offensive weapon the Crown Prosecution Service has prosecuted in each year since 2010; and how many such cases were prosecuted in-house.

Oliver Heald: The records held by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) identify the number of offences in which a prosecution commenced and reached a first hearing in magistrate courts, rather than the number of cases prosecuted. The following table shows, in each of the last three years, the number of offences charged under section 9 of the Theft Act 1968 (burglary), section 10 of the Theft Act 1968 (aggravated burglary), section 139 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (possession of a blade or sharp point in a public place) and section 1 of the Prevention of Crime Act 1953 (possession of an offensive weapon).
	
		
			  2010 2011 2012 
			 Theft Act 1968 (s.9) 42,079 44,309 41,563 
			 Theft Act 1968 (s.10) 1,664 1,599 1,381 
			 Criminal Justice Act 1988 (s.139) 12,774 12,684 10,998 
			 Prevention of Crime Act 1953 (s.1) 12,433 11,482 10,036 
		
	
	It is not possible to ascertain, from the central record of offences data held by the CPS, the particulars of each offence, such as whether charges under section 139 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 related to the possession of a knife or blade rather another sharply pointed implement. A single defendant may also be prosecuted for multiple offences.
	The CPS maintains no central records of the number of cases prosecuted by in-house advocates by the specific offence. Such data could not reasonably be obtained locally or nationally other than by examining individual case files which would incur a disproportionate cost.

Trials

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many and what proportion of trials in (a) total, (b) Harrow Crown court and (c) Isleworth Crown court were cracked in each year since 2010; and how many and what proportion of such trials were handled by (i) in-house Crown Prosecution Service advocates and (ii) barristers from the independent bar.

Oliver Heald: Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS) and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) undertake joint cracked and ineffective trial monitoring. Although this is a joint exercise, HMCTS are responsible for gathering and producing the summary data.
	Information on the number and proportion of cracked trials for England and Wales, Harrow Crown court and Isleworth Crown court since 2010 is contained in the following table:
	
		
			 Crown court cracked trials 
			  2010 2011 January to September 2012 
			  Total listed for trial Total cracked % Total listed for trial Total cracked % Total listed for trial Total cracked % 
			 National 43,260 18,389 42.5 41,707 16,613 39.8 29,487 11,126 37.7 
			 Harrow 810 255 31.5 841 299 35.6 582 209 35.9 
			 Isleworth 1,329 676 50.9 1,550 558 36.0 1,052 284 27.0 
			 Source: HM Courts and Tribunals Service CREST MIS system 
		
	
	A cracked trial occurs on the trial date when the defendant offers acceptable pleas or the prosecution offers no evidence. It requires no further trial time, but as a consequence the time allocated has been wasted, and witnesses may have been unnecessarily inconvenienced.
	Neither HMCTS nor the CPS maintains central records of the type of advocate who prosecuted those cases resulting in a cracked trial. Such data could not reasonably be obtained locally or nationally other than by examining individual case files which would incur a disproportionate cost.

Witnesses

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what the breakdown of witness expenses charged to the Crown Prosecution Service was in each of the last four years in each region of the UK.

Dominic Grieve: A breakdown of the amount spent by each Crown Prosecution Service business area on witness expenses during the last four years is contained in the following tables.
	
		
			 Witness expenses all 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13(1) 
			 Cymru Wales 334,272 349,498 308,889 268,138 
			 East of England 391,668 347,691 309,680 260,326 
			 East Midlands 367,489 405,022 432,196 344,329 
			 London 1,421,717 1,235,780 1,061,812 767,239 
			 Merseyside and Cheshire 228,962 182,305 168,812 122,306 
			 North East 250,586 248,105 243,827 201,181 
			 North West 550,259 553,132 523,318 406,110 
			 South East 533,712 500,114 438,595 335,211 
			 South West 382,070 374,113 373,367 285,360 
			 Thames and Chiltern 400,635 415,434 380,566 302,406 
			 Wessex 403,667 419,979 374,817 262,105 
			 West Midlands 491,094 486,017 441,809 342,774 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 532,668 522,235 448,827 329,682 
			 Organised Crime 21,031 23,788 40,117 32,885 
			 Special Crime and Counter Terrorism 43,981 17,326 31,474 21,560 
			 Central Fraud Group 91,089 83,760 82,235 78,755 
			 Welfare, Rural and Health 0 0 0 1,015 
			 Totals 6,444,899 6,164,98 5,660,341 4,361,381 
		
	
	
		
			 Ordinary witness expenses 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13(1) 
			 Cymru Wales 297,728 319,003 289,389 250,484 
			 East of England 329,824 328,001 289,552 224,770 
			 East Midlands 329,389 372,820 402,826 327,879 
			 London 846,502 844,471 723,552 537,108 
			 Merseyside and Cheshire 175,135 151,647 149,801 12,082 
			 North East 221,032 227,843 233,223 185,718 
			 North West 496,733 522,223 488,599 380,888 
			 South East 432,305 454,124 408,435 310,446 
			 South West 336,208 347,845 346,855 268,486 
			 Thames and Chiltern 333,659 362,123 346,222 276,624 
			 Wessex 339,768 387,673 343,384 246,607 
			 West Midlands 416,056 416,729 378,886 291,029 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 481,509 473,862 420,417 310,300 
			 Organised Crime 14,327 12,887 23,332 15,213 
			 Special Crime and Counter Terrorism 25,892 8,987 23,017 18,642 
			 Central Fraud Group 64,074 54,834 61,362 41,717 
			 Welfare, Rural and Health 0 0 0 0 
			 Totals 5,140,143 5,285,072 4,928,849 3,799,006 
		
	
	
		
			 Professional witness expenses 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13(1) 
			 Cymru Wales 24,068 29,011 13,183 12,603 
			 East of England 33,763 12,783 16,344 19,165 
			 East Midlands 25,051 17,599 19,625 11,624 
			 London 107,890 56,049 39,433 35,414 
			 Merseyside and Cheshire 37,492 28,750 14,991 9,602 
			 North East 20,366 14,933 7,381 7,996 
			 North West 34,368 25,366 26,471 16,037 
			 South East 34,001 22,614 18,885 12,853 
			 South West 30,978 17,777 14,604 13,627 
			 Thames and Chiltern 40,106 49,156 28,091 20,466 
		
	
	
		
			 Wessex 26,173 20,639 24,682 13,574 
			 West Midlands 57,636 53,925 55,372 47,183 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 26,673 32,745 18,775 15,720 
			 Organised Crime 413 4,240 8,139 669 
			 Special Crime and Counter Terrorism 12,152 2,045 4,282 2,714 
			 Central Fraud Group 3,685 3,096 5,133 22 
			 Welfare, Rural and Health 0 0 0 0 
			 Totals 514,814 390,727 315,392 239,269 
		
	
	
		
			 Foreign witness expenses 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13(1) 
			 Cymru Wales 12,477 1,484 6,318 5,052 
			 East of England 28,080 6,907 3,784 16,391 
			 East Midlands 13,050 14,603 9,745 4,826 
			 London 467,325 335,260 298,826 194,716 
			 Merseyside and Cheshire 16,334 1,909 4,021 623 
			 North East 9,188 5,329 3,223 7,468 
			 North West 19,159 5,544 8,249 9,185 
			 South East 67,405 23,376 11,275 11,912 
			 South West 14,885 8,492 11,907 3,248 
			 Thames and Chiltern 26,871 4,155 6,253 5,316 
			 Wessex 37,725 11,667 6,751 1,924 
			 West Midlands 17,401 15,363 7,552 4,562 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 24,485 15,628 9,635 3,662 
			 Organised Crime 6,290 6,660 8,646 17,003 
			 Special Crime and Counter Terrorism 5,937 6,294 4,174 204 
			 Central Fraud Group 23,330 25,830 15,740 37,015 
			 Welfare, Rural and Health 0 0 0 0 
			 Totals 789,943 488,502 416,100 323,105 
			 (1 )2012-13 year to date figures to the end of January.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Aggregates: Recycling

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the impact of the reduced or negative economic growth on aggregate recycling;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the impact of the reduced or negative economic growth on glass recycling.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA has not conducted a formal assessment of current economic conditions on glass and aggregate recycling. However, we have tasked the independent Advisory Committee on Packaging to investigate the causes of the perceived shortage of glass and aggregate recycling in 2012. This will include considering any impacts of the current economic conditions and the subsequent spike in the price of glass Packaging Waste Recovery Notes. The Committee will also develop recommendations for reducing the likelihood of such an event in future and mitigating the effects.

Dangerous Dogs

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to his statement of 6 February 2013, Official Report, column 15WS, on irresponsible dog ownership, 
	(1)  how many officials in his Department are currently working on implementing the policies outlined in his statement;
	(2)  how many officials in his Department are working on the issue of responsible dog ownership.

David Heath: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has five members of staff whose responsibilities include development of policy on companion animals; that includes responsibility for development of policy on dog control and welfare. The team also has veterinary and legal support.

Food: Origin Marking

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what steps his Department has taken to work with UK food producer groups that wish to apply for European Protected Foods status;
	(2)  what steps his Department has taken to increase the take-up of European Protected Food status in the UK.

David Heath: DEFRA has an active programme of working with new applicants who appear to meet the criteria for recognition under the EU Protected Food Name scheme, with the aim of increasing up take of the scheme by United Kingdom food and drink producers. The Department promotes the scheme via seminars to producers groups and participation at trade fairs such as the International Food Exhibition. At this year's International Food Exhibition, DEFRA in conjunction with UK Trade and Investment is organising a UK Protected Food Names pavilion.
	Later this month, the Department will also be supporting an independently organised forum on the subject ‘Great British Food: Can Protected Food Names add value to the British Economy’, to explain the merits and benefits of applying for, and obtaining, protected food name status.

Food: Origin Marking

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department has taken at EU level to reduce the average length of the application process for European Protected Foods status.

David Heath: EU regulations for the scheme referred to were revised in 2012. The United Kingdom was influential in securing a reduction from 12 months to six months as the maximum period of scrutiny which the European Commission is allowed to give to a protected food name application, in order to check that it is justified, and that it meets the conditions of the scheme. We also played an important part in achieving an additional reduction in the subsequent period during which the Commission is required to hold a public consultation on such applications.

Food: Origin Marking

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to Article 11 of Council Regulation EC 510/2006 on protected geographical indications and protected designations of origin, who the competent authority is in the UK.

David Heath: The regulation referred to was repealed in 2012. The provisions, formerly set out in Article 11 in the old Council Regulation, are now found in Article 36 of the Regulation (EU) No. 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 November 2012 on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs. The competent authority in the UK is DEFRA, as was the case under the old regulation.

Food: Origin Marking

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information his Department holds on how much UK trade associations have received in EU funding for promotional measures aimed at increasing the information on, and sales of, certain protected designation of origin and protected geographic indication agricultural products in (a) EU and (b) other countries.

David Heath: Between 2005 and 2012 UK trade associations received a total of €7.2 million (approximately £6.4 million) EU funding in respect of information and promotion programmes on protected geographic indication agricultural products. All the programmes concern the EU internal market.
	There has been no EU funding received for promotional measures on protected designation of origin agricultural products.

Food: Origin Marking

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the total value of all food products in the UK that have EU Protected Foods status sold (a) in the UK, (b) to other EU member states and (c) to non-EU countries.

David Heath: The most recent information was published by the European Commission and related to 2008. In that year, the total value of UK products which had the status of Protected Designation of Origin or Protected Geographical Indication under the EU scheme referred to was €969 million, the fourth largest total among EU member states. No breakdown is available of the proportions of that total which were attributable to sales on the UK market, the markets of other EU member states or the markets of non-EU countries.

Food: Procurement

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether Government Buying Standards for food apply to (a) Government Departments, (b) local authorities, (c) schools, (d) hospitals, (e) prisons and (f) care facilities.

David Heath: The Government Buying Standard for food and catering has been developed so that it can be applied by central Government and the wider public sector, including all the institutions listed. The Greening Government Commitments mandate the use of Government Buying Standards in central Government. They are voluntary for the wider public sector.

Food: Procurement

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Government's definition is of the terms (a) small producers and (b) local as used in its buying standards for food and catering services; and what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of food which comes from each of those sources.

David Heath: The Government Buying Standard for food and catering services includes a requirement to
	“provide opportunity for separate contracts for supply and distribution; and advertise all food-related tenders to SMEs.”
	The definition of SMEs used by Government in this context is the definition of small and medium-sized enterprises in EU law, EU recommendation 2003/361. The Government Buying Standard for food and catering services does not refer to local food and there is no definition as such of local food, but it does include provisions for sourcing of seasonal produce and food that meets UK standards of production or their equivalent.
	The Department does not have an estimate of the amount of food from SMEs or from local sources across Government.

Food: Waste

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with reference to the Government's Review of Waste Policy in England, published in 2011, what recent progress his Department has made on (a) the design of targeted solutions to reduce food waste, (b) developing the role played by the public sector in reducing food waste and diverting food waste from landfill, (c) developments of Government incentives to reduce food waste, (d) the status of the Responsibility Deal with hospitality businesses and the food service sector, (e) the establishment of Courtauld 2 and (f) other measures where Government policy is to make it easier for business and consumers to reduce and sustainably manage their food waste; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: The 2011 Review of Waste Policy in England outlines our commitment to reduce food waste being sent to landfill and to move it up the waste hierarchy. Our priority is waste prevention, followed by reuse, recycling and recovery.
	Landfill tax is the primary incentive for diverting waste from landfill. The Government is committed to increasing landfill tax to £80 per tonne by 2014-15, with the tax remaining at least at this level until 2020. The Government is working with food retailers, manufacturers and the hospitality sector to reduce food waste through voluntary agreements like the Courtauld Commitment. The second phase of the Courtauld Commitment came to an end in December 2012. We are currently working with the devolved Administrations, the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and signatories to develop a third phase of the agreement.
	We are helping households reduce waste and save money through WRAP'S ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ campaign. We also clarified date labelling guidance in 2011.
	The Government is committed to leading by example by tackling food waste in the public sector. We have developed minimum buying standards for Government Departments and their agencies for the procurement of food and catering. These standards require caterers to take steps to minimise food waste. Government Departments have also signed up as supporters to the Hospitality and Food Service Agreement, which was launched in June 2012. This agreement now has 141 signatories and supporters.

Food: Waste

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress his Department has made in implementing the targets in relation to food packaging set out in the 2011 Review of Waste Policy in England.

Richard Benyon: The 2011 Review of Waste Policy did not set out any targets relating to food packaging. However, it did make a commitment to consult on increased recycling targets on all packaging producers, not just food packaging producers, for the period 2013 to 2017.
	The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 established the higher packaging recycling targets as announced in the 2012 Budget. These took effect from 1 January 2013.

Forests

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what timetable he has set for bringing forward legislative proposals to establish the Public Forest Estate management body proposed in his response to the Independent Panel on Forestry's Final Report.

David Heath: The Government will be developing its plans for the new public body to manage the public forest estate and hold it in trust for the nation in conjunction with stakeholders over the coming months. Subject to parliamentary time, we will look to introduce legislation at the earliest opportunity.

Horses: Slaughterhouses

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many horses were slaughtered in UK abattoirs in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many of those were (a) race horses, (b) wild ponies and (c) domestic horses.

David Heath: A total of 9,405 horses were slaughtered in UK abattoirs during the 2012 calendar year. The Department does not hold a breakdown of this figure by breed or type.

Horses: Slaughterhouses

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many horses he estimates were humanely slaughtered by veterinarians and hunts in the last year for which figures are available.

David Heath: DEFRA does not hold the data requested.

Livestock: Exports

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to his statement of 4 March 2013, on the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) Report on Events of 12 September 2012, whether AHVLA's summary of actions will be applicable to the live export trade across the UK in the event that transports begin operating from ports other than Ramsgate.

David Heath: The terms of reference for the Animal Health Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) Report were specifically in relation to the port of Ramsgate. However, I can confirm that AHVLA will apply exactly the same principles behind the actions summarised in that report, to any other port that the exporters choose to use in the future. These principles provide for a proportionate, risk-based and non-discriminatory inspection regime, as required by EU legislation.

Meat Products

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with (a) the EU Commission and (b) his EU counterparts on mechanically separated meat; and if he will make a statement.

David Heath: The Commission is clear that the UK expects working group discussions on this matter to reopen without delay after the publication of the opinion of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on the production of non-ruminant mechanically separated meat (MSM). The publication is expected at the end of March 2013. Scientific evidence has been submitted to EFSA to inform the development of the scientific opinion. DEFRA Ministers have discussed the latest position with the FSA chairman and chief executive and with representatives of the UK meat industry and we are ready to escalate this as necessary once the EFSA opinion is available.

Packaging: Recycling

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of an increase in the price of glass packaging waste recovery notes on the food and drink supply chain.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 5 March 2013
	DEFRA has not produced a formal assessment of the impact of the elevated price of glass packaging waste recovery notes (PRNs) on the food and drink supply chain.
	However, we have been in contact with a number of businesses and representatives of this sector to discuss the issue and are aware of the impacts. We have also asked the independent Advisory Committee on Packaging to investigate the causes of the glass PRN price spike experienced during the final quarter of 2012 and to develop recommendations for reducing the likelihood and mitigating the effects of such an event in the future.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Electricity

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he plans to take to reduce costs for businesses and community organisations which supply electricity.

John Hayes: holding answer 5 March 2013
	In certain circumstances, businesses and community organisations can be exempt from the costs and obligations associated with the conditions attached to the requirement for an electricity supply licence. Details can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/electricity-licence-exemptions
	Small licensed electricity suppliers with fewer than 250,000 customers are also exempt from participating in certain Government social and environmental schemes.

Green Deal Scheme: Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer from the Chief Secretary to the Treasury of 25 February 2013, Official Report, column 190W, on public expenditure: Wales, how much his Department awarded to Welsh local authorities under the local investment element of the Green Deal.

Gregory Barker: Wales was awarded £646,900 in 2012-13.

Nuclear Power Stations

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department's policy is to bring forward community benefits for new build nuclear projects which go beyond what is outlined in Section 106 agreements in respect of new energy infrastructure.

John Hayes: The Government are currently finalising the proposals for a community benefits package for sites that host new nuclear power stations. Details of the community benefit package will be announced shortly.

Power Stations

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of the total amount of carbon dioxide is saved when taking a conventional power station off-line when wind turbines are able to deliver power to the Grid.

Gregory Barker: A unit of wind generated electricity prevents carbon dioxide emissions from a unit of fossil fuel generated electricity displaced. The amount of carbon dioxide saved by wind energy depends on the type of fossil fuel generation being displaced and a number of other variables. Therefore, the proportion saved from the total amount of carbon dioxide, in whichever way defined, varies according to the electrical power generation system's operating conditions.

Renewable Energy

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will publish the costs associated with producing a unit of electricity from each form of renewable energy.

Gregory Barker: DECC has published levelised costs(1) estimates of various generation technologies on the DECC website. A summary of the levelised cost data for a large range of generating technologies including renewable technologies was published in November 2012 and is available on the DECC website:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/65713/6883-electricity-generation-costs.pdf
	Levelised cost estimates for different types of electricity generation are highly sensitive to the assumptions used for capital costs, fuel and EU ETS allowance prices, operating costs, load factor, discount rate, time and other drivers and this means that there is significant uncertainty around these estimates.
	(1) A ‘levelised cost’ is the average cost over the lifetime of the plant per MWh of electricity generated. These reflect the cost of building a generic plant for each technology, potential revenue streams are not considered.

Wind Power

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many planning applications for (a) onshore and (b) offshore wind farms in each constituency have been refused to date.

John Hayes: The Department does not hold information on planning decisions for wind farms down to a constituency level. I can confirm that, up to January 2013, the total number of wind farms that have been refused consent are: one offshore and 438 onshore.
	Further details on the planning status and location of all renewable development can be reviewed on the Department's Renewable Energy Planning Database:
	https://restats.decc.gov.uk/app/reporting/decc/monthlyextract

Wind Power

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effect of his Department's wind farm policies on fuel poverty.

Gregory Barker: Onshore and offshore wind have an important role to play in providing a balanced energy mix for the UK. Government is reducing subsidies for wind to bring forward renewable deployment at a lower cost to the consumer.
	For the last full financial year available (2010-11), support for wind power added £10 to an average household's annual electricity bill. We are changing support levels for renewables for 2013-17, and the impact of our changes on consumer bills was published in the IA accompanying the Government response to the RO banding review in July 2012(1). The changes will reduce costs of consumers' energy bills by £6 next year and £5 in 2014-15 compared to the current subsidy regime, a total of £11 across the remainder of this Parliament.
	The Department publishes a summary of the impacts of energy and climate change policies on energy bills, which includes energy efficiency, low carbon and social programmes, not just support for renewable energy or wind power. The most recent publication—from November 2011(2)—estimated that in 2020 we expect domestic bills to be 7% lower, on average, than if those policies had not been introduced. DECC's assessment of the impacts of energy and climate change policies on prices and bills is currently being updated, and will be published shortly.
	Bill impacts vary with energy consumption, and the Government is mindful of the impact that this has on household energy costs, particularly for low-income and fuel poor households. Policies such as the Warm Home Discount (WHD) and part of the energy company obligation (ECO) take special account of low income and vulnerable households, offering bill relief and support for some heating and energy efficiency measures. This will enable more of the most vulnerable to heat their homes more affordably and to a more adequate level. As a result, energy bills for the poorest 30% of households are expected to be, on average, lower as a result of policies in 2020 compared to in the absence of policies.
	(1) https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment _data/file/42847/5945-renewables-obligation-government-response-impact-a.pdf
	(2) Available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/policy-impacts-on-prices-and-bills

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Beko

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds on the number of (a) deaths, (b) injuries and (c) carbon monoxide incidents caused by ovens sold or manufactured by Beko in (i) the UK and (ii) other European countries.

Jo Swinson: The Department does not collect the information requested. The Department did become aware of four carbon monoxide poisoning incidents caused by ovens sold or manufactured by Beko (over the period of November 2008 to January 2009): three in the UK and one in the Irish Republic, which resulted in six deaths. This information was immediately passed to the manufacturer who has the responsibility and liability for the product and to their local authority Trading Standards service. While the Department has responsibility for the product safety legislation, responsibility for enforcement is a matter for Trading Standards.

Beko

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds on the number of (a) deaths, (b) injuries and (c) fires caused by fridge freezers sold or manufactured by Beko in (i) the UK and (ii) other European countries.

Jo Swinson: The Department does not collect this information and holds no information on deaths, injuries or fires caused by fridge freezers sold or manufactured by Beko.

Beko

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he informed the EU rapid alert system of potential faults in ovens sold by Beko plc or manufactured by Beko group companies.

Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills informed the EU rapid alert system of the potential faults in ovens manufactured by Beko plc and its group of companies through the RAPEX system (notification number 0354/09) on 4 March 2009.

Beko

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he informed the EU rapid alert system of potential faults in fridge freezers sold by Beko plc or manufactured by Beko group companies.

Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills informed the EU rapid alert system of the potential faults in fridge freezers manufactured by Beko plc through the EU RAPEX system (notification number 0703/11) on 15 July 2011.

Cabinet Committees

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on what dates the Cabinet (a) Economic Affairs Committee, (b) Economic Affairs (Growth Implementation) Sub-Committee, (c) Economic Affairs (Infrastructure) Sub-Committee, (d) Economic Affairs (Reducing Regulation) Sub-Committee, (e) Economic Affairs (Trade and Investment) Sub-Committee, (f) Banking Reform Committee met in the last year.

Jo Swinson: In line with the practice of previous Administrations, information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet Committees is generally not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.

Credit Cards

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to educate people about the dangers of taking out store cards.

Jo Swinson: On store cards, respondents to the Consumer Credit and Personal Insolvency Review of 2010-11 were most concerned about the ease with which customers were tempted into expensive credit by retailers offering discounts on their purchases at the time they take out a store card. Following negotiations with the Government, industry agreed to end the practice of introductory discounts as well as introducing other measures to improve the way store cards are offered.

Directors: Equal Opportunities

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what responses he has received from the seven companies he wrote to in January 2013 about male-only boards.

Jo Swinson: As was widely reporting in the media, on 29 January, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), wrote to the boards of the remaining seven FTSE 100 companies with all-male boards to urge them to take action to increase the number of women on their boards. The Business Secretary's letter outlined the benefits of diversity in the boardroom and reminded them of Lord Davies' recommendation of requesting companies to set targets for the number of women they aim to have on their boards by 2013 and 2015. So far, three companies have responded to my right hon. Friend, acknowledging the importance of diverse boards and the Department will continue to monitor progress on this issue closely.

Education: Prisons

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which organisations provide education services in each prison.

Matthew Hancock: New prison education contracts commenced in 2012 following a procurement process led by the Skills Funding Agency but with close engagement of prison governors and their heads of learning and skills.
	The following table lists adult prisons in England, their offender learning and skills service (OLASS) provider and their national careers service provider. The OLASS contractors listed will have sub contractors and partners who work with them to deliver the curriculum commissioned locally by prison Governors.
	The table lists English prisons only and excludes young offender institutions. The list also excludes those private prisons where the operator is responsible for providing education under their contract with the National Offender Management Service.
	
		
			 Establishment OLASS provider National careers service provider 
			 HMP Bedford A4e Realise Futures 
			 HMP Belmarsh A4e Prospects Services Ltd 
			 HMP Birmingham Milton Keynes College CSWP 
			 HMP Blantyre House The Manchester College Babcock 
			 HMP Blundeston A4e Realise Futures 
			 HMP Bristol Weston College Tribal 
			 HMP Brixton A4e Prospects Services Ltd 
			 HMP Buckley Hall The Manchester College Economic Solutions 
			 HMP Bullingdon Milton Keynes College Babcock 
			 HMP Bullwood Hall(1) A4e Realise Futures 
			 HMP Bure A4e Realise Futures 
			 HMP Canterbury(1) The Manchester College Babcock 
			 HMP Channing Wood Weston College Careers South West 
			 HMP Chelmsford A4e Realise Futures 
			 HMP Coldingley A4e Babcock 
			 HMP Dartmoor Weston College Careers South West 
			 HMP Dorchester Weston College Careers South West 
			 HMP Downview A4e Babcock 
			 HMP Drake Hall Milton Keynes College CSWP 
			 HMP Durham The Manchester College CfBT 
			 HMP East Sutton Park The Manchester College Babcock 
			 HMP Eastwood Park Weston College Tribal 
			 HMP Eimley The Manchester College Babcock 
			 HMP Erlestoke Weston College Tribal 
			 HMP Everthorpe The Manchester College Careers Yorkshire and Humber 
			 HMP Exeter Weston College Careers South West 
			 HMP Featherstone Milton Keynes College CSWP 
			 HMP Ford The Manchester College Babcock 
			 HMP Foston Hall Milton Keynes College Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Futures 
			 HMP Frankland The Manchester College CfBT 
			 HMP Full Sutton The Manchester College Careers Yorkshire and Humber 
			 HMP Garth The Manchester College GMCP (Cumbria and Lancashire) 
			 HMP Gartree Milton Keynes College Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Futures 
			 HMP Gloucester(1) Weston College Tribal 
			 HMP Grendon Milton Keynes College Babcock 
			 HMP Guys Marsh Weston College Careers South West 
			 HMP Haverigg The Manchester College GMCP (Cumbria and Lancashire) 
			 HMP Hewell Milton Keynes College CSWP 
			 HMP Highdown A4e Babcock 
			 HMP Highpoint A4e Realise Futures 
			 HMP Hollesley Bay A4e Realise Futures 
		
	
	
		
			 HMP Holloway A4e Prospects Services Ltd 
			 HMP Holme House The Manchester College CfBT 
			 HMP Hull The Manchester College Careers Yorkshire and Humber 
			 HMP Huntercombe Milton Keynes College Babcock 
			 HMP Isle of Wight Milton Keynes College Babcock 
			 HMP Kennet The Manchester College GMCP (Greater Merseyside, Cheshire and Warrington) 
			 HMP Kingston(1) Milton Keynes College Babcock 
			 HMP Kirkham The Manchester College GMCP (Cumbria and Lancashire) 
			 HMP Kirklevington Grange The Manchester College CfBT 
			 HMP Leeds The Manchester College Careers Yorkshire and Humber 
			 HMP Leicester Milton Keynes College Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Futures 
			 HMP Lewes The Manchester College Babcock 
			 HMP Leyhill Weston College Tribal 
			 HMP Lincoln Milton Keynes College Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Futures 
			 HMP Lindholme The Manchester College Careers Yorkshire and Humber 
			 HMP Litttehey 1 and 2 A4e Realise Futures 
			 HMP Liverpool The Manchester College GMCP (Greater Merseyside, Cheshire and Warrington) 
			 HMP Long Lartin Milton Keynes College CSWP 
			 HMP Low Newton The Manchester College CfBT 
			 HMP Maidstone The Manchester College Babcock 
			 HMP Manchester The Manchester College Economic Solutions 
			 HMP North Sea Camp Milton Keynes College Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Futures 
			 HMP Northumberland The Manchester College CfBT 
			 HMP Norwich A4e Realise Futures 
			 HMP Nottingham Milton Keynes College Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Futures 
			 HMP Oakwood Milton Keynes College CSWP 
			 HMP Onley Milton Keynes College Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Futures 
			 HMP Pentonville A4e Prospects Services Ltd 
			 HMP Preston The Manchester College GMCP (Cumbria and Lancashire) 
			 HMP Ranby Milton Keynes College Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Futures 
			 HMP Risley The Manchester College GMCP (Greater Merseyside, Cheshire and Warrington) 
			 HMP Send A4e Babcock 
			 HMP Shepton Mallet(1) Weston College Careers South West 
			 HMP Shrewsbury(1) Milton Keynes College CSWP 
			 HMP Spring Hill Milton Keynes College Babcock 
			 HMP Stafford Milton Keynes College CSWP 
			 HMP Standford Hill The Manchester College Babcock 
			 HMP Stocken Milton Keynes College Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Futures 
			 HMP Styal The Manchester College GMCP (Greater Merseyside, Cheshire and Warrington) 
			 HMP Sudbury Milton Keynes College Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Futures 
			 HMP Swaleside The Manchester College Babcock 
			 HMP Thameside A4e Prospects Services Ltd 
			 HMP The Mount A4e Realise Futures 
			 HMP The Verne Weston College Careers South West 
			 HMP Wakefield The Manchester College Careers Yorkshire and Humber 
			 HMP Wandsworth A4e Prospects Services Ltd 
			 HMP Wayland A4e Realise Futures 
			 HMP Wealstun The Manchester College Careers Yorkshire and Humber 
			 HMPWhatton Milton Keynes College Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Futures 
			 HMPWhitemoor A4e Realise Futures 
			 HMP Winchester Milton Keynes College Babcock 
			 HMP Woodhill Milton Keynes College Babcock 
			 HMP Wormwood Scrubs A4e Prospects Services Ltd 
			 HMP Wymott The Manchester College GMCP (Cumbria and Lancashire) 
			 (1) The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice announced the closure of these prisons on 10 January 2013

Exports

Robin Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations he has received from DHL and the British Chambers of Commerce Trade Confidence Index on steps to support companies to penetrate new and growing markets; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Fallon: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), has not received representations from DHL and the British Chambers of Commerce in regards to the latest Trade Confidence Index, but UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) is working very actively to help UK companies succeed overseas, particularly in high growth markets.
	In this respect, UKTI has identified 20 markets for particularly focused efforts. UKTI is shifting resource into these markets in response to growing demand; undertaking awareness-raising outreach events throughout the UK; working with business-led organisations such as the China-Britain Business Council, UK-India Business Council and British business-network bodies overseas; supporting trade missions by senior Ministers, including that of the Prime Minister and other Ministers to India in February 2013; and tackling barriers to trade, for instance, through Government-to-Government dialogues, such as those held with India, Russia, UAE, and Vietnam in 2012.
	In addition, the autumn statement of 5 December 2012, Official Report, columns 871-882, provided for an increase to UKTI's annual budget of £70 million that will help deliver services to more exporters and increase UKTI’s work on the highest value opportunities, particularly in emerging markets. UKTI will also be organising an export week in mid-May. Events are being planned right across the UK where the specific focus will be on doing business in high growth and emerging markets.

Higher Education: Birmingham

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students resident in (a) Birmingham, Selly Oak constituency and (b) Birmingham entered higher education in each of the last five years.

David Willetts: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes data on students at UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The numbers of entrants to UK HEIs who were domiciled in Birmingham local authority and Birmingham Selly Oak constituency prior to their course have been provided in the table for the academic years 2007/08 to 2011/12.
	Information for the 2012/13 academic year will become available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency in January 2014.
	
		
			 Entrants(1) to UK HEIs domiciled in Birmingham local authority and Birmingham Selly Oak Constituency(2) prior to their course, academic years 2007/08 to 2011/12 
			  2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 
			 Birmingham Local Authority 14,400 15,930 15,645 15,335 15,620 
			 Birmingham, Selly Oak Constituency 1,645 1,715 1,730 1,515 1,630 
			 (1) Covers all students in their first year of study. (2) Parliamentary constituency is derived from the student's postcode. Data for 2010/11 is based on the revised boundaries in the 2010 General Election. Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded to the nearest five, so components may not sum to totals. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record

Industrial Development Advisory Board

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on what dates the Industrial Development Advisory Board has met since May 2010.

Michael Fallon: Since 1 May 2010, the board has met on the following dates:
	13 May 2010
	11 November 2010
	9 December 2010
	14 April 2011
	14 July 2011
	8 September 2011
	10 November 2011
	12 January 2012
	15 February 2012
	12 April 2012
	12 July 2012
	13 September 2012
	11 October 2012
	8 November 2012
	13 December 2012
	10 January 2013
	14 February 2013
	4 March 2013.

Leisure

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent estimate he has made of the monetary value of the UK leisure industry; and what estimates have been made of the contribution to the leisure industry of (a) domestic and (b) international demand in each of the last 10 years.

Hugh Robertson: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
	The most recent Government estimate of the value of the tourism industry to the UK economy is set out in the Office of National Statistics (ONS) Tourism Satellite Account which showed that tourism direct gross value added was £44.6 billion in 2009, compared to £46.1 billion in 2008. Tourism direct employment rose from 1.72 million in 2008 to 1.80 million in 2009. Data are only available for these two years. Data for 2010 will be released later this year.
	In their 2010 study, Deloitte have estimated that tourism was worth £115.4 billion to the UK economy in 2009 once the direct and indirect impacts are taken into account, equivalent to 8.9% of UK gross domestic product:
	http://www.visitbritain.org/bounce.aspx?PG=/Images/Economic%20case%20for%20the%20Visitor%20Economy% 20-%20Phase%202%20-%2026%20July%202010%20-%20FINAL_TCM29-14561.pdf
	The provisional ONS International Passenger Survey results for 2012 saw a 4% increase in spend to £18.7 billion (from £18 billion in 2011) from inbound visits, a record high in nominal terms. Data for the previous 10 years are available on the VisitBritain website:
	http://www.visitbritain.org/insightsandstatistics/inboundtourismfacts/
	In 2011, £17.9 billion was spent by British residents on overnight trips in England, with an additional £42.7 billion being spent on domestic tourism day trips. Data for domestic spend in England are available on the VisitEngland website:
	http://www.visitengland.org/insight-statistics/major-tourism-surveys/

Motor Vehicles: Insurance

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress the Competition Commission has made on its investigation into the private motor insurance market.

Jo Swinson: The Competition Commission has recently published its update to the Statement of Issues in respect of the private motor insurance market investigation. This document, alongside the original Issues Statement, published in December 2012, sets out the scope for the investigation and the issues the Commission will focus on during the course of its investigation. This document can be found on the Commission's website:
	http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/our-work/private-motor-insurance-market-investigation
	The administrative timetable for the investigation can also be found on the Competition Commission's website. The Commission is currently gathering evidence from parties and preparing to undertake two consumer surveys to help develop its understanding of the market. Further information will be published on the Competition Commission's website as the investigation progresses.

Patents

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if his Department will consider adopting the new streamlined 12 month patent scheme that has been rolled out in the US.

Jo Swinson: The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) already provides an acceleration system under which it is possible to gain a granted UK patent in as little as nine months. To complement this service, the IPO will be introducing a new superfast patent processing service later this year, as announced by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), on 17 December 2012. The superfast service would mean it would be possible to get from filing to patent grant in around 90 days, for a premium fee. The IPO will be issuing a public consultation in the coming months on how such a superfast service may be implemented.

Patents

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations his Department has received to streamline the system of patents.

Jo Swinson: The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) and other parts of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills are in continuous dialogue with stakeholder representatives, and users of the patents system, on the subject of streamlining the patents system in various ways—and so receive representations constantly. Recent significant contact has included detailed discussions with the CBI, representative user bodies and stakeholders on the new European unitary patent system, and consultation with users on efforts to bring more harmonisation to the international patent system. On the domestic front, recent consultations on possible changes to improve the patents legislation have resulted in 34 responses to the IPO.

Regional Growth Fund

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many awards from Round 1 of the Regional Growth Fund have not yet drawn down funds; and what the monetary value is of each of those awards.

Michael Fallon: 49 round 1 awards for a total of £374.8 million have been finalised. Payments totalling £239 million have been made in support of 37 of these projects. The remaining 12 awards will be drawn down between now and March 2015 when they have achieved the necessary investment and employment payment triggers specified in the offer letter.

Staff

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many full-time equivalent staff are employed by his Department on the Growth Review.

Michael Fallon: This information is not held centrally. A range of officials in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and across Whitehall support Ministers in the formulation and implementation of growth policy, including the Growth Review.

TRIPS Agreement

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the request relating to access to medicines submitted by the Least Developed Countries to the (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) (TRIPS) Council for an Extension of the Transitional Period under Article 66.1 of the TRIPS Agreement at the forthcoming TRIPS Council meeting on 5 and 6 March 2013; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Swinson: We are aware of a request from least-developed countries for an extension of their exemption from the general TRIPS provisions. The exemption from provisions relating to access to medicines is not due to be reviewed until 2016, in line with the WTO's 2001 Doha Declaration.
	The TRIPS agreement sets out a reasonable international minimum standard of intellectual property law. However, we recognise that TRIPS is wide-ranging and not all areas will be an immediate priority for least-developed countries. We have therefore publicly supported the prospect of a further extension to the deadline for least developed countries (LDC) implementation of the TRIPS agreement since 2011. We think it important that LDCs are afforded the flexibility to implement IP policies in ways that relate directly to their own national development strategies.

HEALTH

Care Homes

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his announcement of 11 February 2013, on the Government's intention to implement the recommendations of the Dilnot Commission in relation to social care funding reform, if he will increase the personal expenses allowance for older people in care homes.

Norman Lamb: The Dilnot Commission made no recommendation about the level of the personal expenses allowance (PEA). However, it did encourage the Government to consider the case for increasing it in future. As part of our plans to introduce new funding arrangements, we will consider the level of the PEA and the way it is uprated. In the meantime, the Government will increase the PEA annually, using the establish formula, to ensure it maintains its value.

Cervical Cancer

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what advice he has received from the (a) UK National Screening Committee and (b) Advisory Committee on Cervical Screening on the use of HPV testing as a primary screen within the cervical screening programme;
	(2)  what plans he has to introduce HPV testing as a primary screen within the cervical screening programme.

Anna Soubry: At its meeting on 24 November 2011, the Advisory Committee on Cervical Screening recommended that there was enough evidence for a proposal of a pilot of human papillomavirus (HPV) testing as primary screening to go to the UK National Screening Committee. At its meeting on 25 April 2012, the UK National Screening Committee gave support for a pilot to assess the value of using HPV testing as the primary screen for cervical disease.
	As set out in the second annual report of “Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer” in December 2012, six cervical screening sites will begin piloting HPV testing as primary screening shortly. The pilot sites are Liverpool; Manchester; Northwick Park, London; Bristol; Sheffield and Norwich.

Cervical Cancer

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans he has to address women aged between 25 and 35 who do not take the opportunity to attend cervical screening;
	(2)  what plans he has to encourage and support women who do not attend cervical screening;
	(3)  what plans he has to address the decline in the number of women attending cervical screening since 2002.

Anna Soubry: “Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer” (January 2011) makes clear the important role that cervical screening plays in preventing cervical cancer. The strategy also notes that some groups and communities are not accessing cancer screening services. To encourage all eligible women aged 25 to 64 to make the important decision to attend routine cervical screening, we are working with NHS Cancer Screening Programmes, the Advisory Committee on Cervical Screening and stakeholders to refine the information we provide to women when they are invited for screening so all are fully supported to make an informed choice to attend.
	To tackle low uptake among women aged 25-29, the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme has commissioned a study costing over £1 million to determine which interventions are effective at increasing screening uptake amongst women receiving their first invitation from the NHS Cervical Screening Programme. The “Strategies to increase cervical screening uptake at first invitation (STRATEGIC)” study is trialling interventions such as a pre-invitation leaflet; internet appointment booking; timed appointments; the provision of personal support through nurse navigators; and human papillomavirus self-sampling. The study began in November 2011 and is due to run until October 2015.
	On 26 January 2012, NHS Cancer Screening Programmes and Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust jointly held an event at the King's Fund looking at challenges to screening uptake among black and minority ethnic (BME) communities. The meeting updated attendees on current data about challenges to improve screening uptake among BME groups and offered an opportunity to share best practice. Documents and links from the event have been circulated to all attendees to help promote information on cervical screening in their respective communities. This was the second such meeting. The National Cancer Action Team, in partnership with BME charities and faith communities, is piloting a targeted approach to raise awareness about cancer and increase screening uptake among BME communities. As part of the Cancer Does Not Discriminate campaign, the pilot, which is due to end in March 2013, is using commercial radio, targeted and tailored information, and direct awareness raising events.
	NHS Cancer Screening Programmes has funded an award winning campaign targeting lesbian and bisexual women in the north west of England to raise awareness about the need to attend for regular cervical screening tests. The Lesbian and Gay Foundation's Are You Ready for Your Screen Test? campaign was the winner of the Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust 2011 Cervical Screening Award. This is now being rolled out across the country.
	From April 2011, in agreement with the General Practitioners (GPs) Committee of the British Medical Association, we amended the existing Directed Enhanced Service arrangements to provide practices with additional flexibilities for them to offer patients appointments at more convenient times to see a general practitioner or nurse within their practice. The Quality and Outcomes Framework for GP practices also includes incentives for practices to achieve high uptake levels in cervical screening. Cervical screening coverage is also an indicator in the Public Health Outcomes Framework.

Epilepsy: Drugs

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to highlight the potential negative side effects of the epilepsy drug, sodium valproate.

Norman Lamb: The safety profile of the epilepsy drug, sodium valproate is very well established. Sodium valproate has been licensed to treat epilepsy since 1993. All known potential negative side effects of sodium valproate, including extensive warnings about the possible adverse effects when used during pregnancy, are described in published guidance for prescribing—the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) for individual brands of sodium valproate—available on the Electronic Medicines Compendium (eMC) website at:
	www.medicines.org.uk/EMC/
	and in the British National Formulary, which is sent to all doctors within the national health service. Patient Information Leaflets that reflect the information in the SmPC in terms more understandable for patients are supplied in each package of the medicine and can also be accessed on the eMC website.

Family Nurse Partnership Programme

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to extend the Family Nurse Partnership programme to all first time mothers under the age of 20.

Daniel Poulter: The Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) programme is based on more than 30 years of United States research that has shown significant benefits for disadvantaged young families/ and substantial cost savings. Early evaluation in England is promising, suggesting that the programme can be delivered well here, clients like it and the potential for impact is good with mothers reducing smoking in pregnancy, very positive about their parenting capacity, having improved self esteem and a high proportion initiating breastfeeding.
	The Government is committed to doubling the number of places on the FNP programme to 13,000 by 2015. Good progress is being made towards this with over 11,000 places in 91 areas currently available. From 1 April 2013, the NHS Commissioning Board will commission these services and will expand the number of areas where FNP is available.

Family Nurse Partnership Programme

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the budget for the Family Nurse Partnership programme will be for (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15.

Daniel Poulter: From April 2013 the NHS Commissioning Board (NHS CB) will commission the Family Nurse Partnership programme to achieve the Government's goal of 13,000 places by 2015. It will be for the NHS CB to determine budgets for the programme over the next two years. A recent study published by the Department suggests the average cost of delivering a FNP place locally is £3,100 per year, ranging between £3,000 and £3,600 depending on the area and with first year costs slightly higher at an average of £3,275.

Female Genital Mutilation

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department gives on female genital mutilation to (a) midwives and (b) other health professionals.

Anna Soubry: Guidance for health professionals is contained in the Multi-Agency Practice Guidelines on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), published in 2011 by HM Government. Last year, Ministers wrote to relevant Royal Colleges and national health service agencies asking them about their plans to raise awareness of FGM. The responses received were encouraging, and the overriding message from them all is clear—FGM is abhorrent and they are committed to playing their part in eradicating it.
	At the same time, the Department's chief medical officer and director of nursing, with the support of the Royal Colleges, wrote to health professionals drawing their attention to the illegal nature of the FGM and to the multi-agency practice guidelines on FGM published in 2011.

Human Papilloma Virus

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on HPV genotyping and innovative technology in the NHS.

Anna Soubry: The Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), has not had any discussions on human papillomavirus genotyping and innovative technology in the NHS with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable).

Human Papilloma Virus

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the risk of myalgic encephalomyelitis following exposure to the HPV vaccination.

Norman Lamb: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has responsibility for vaccines and medicines safety in the United Kingdom. As with all vaccines and medicines, the MHRA has been closely monitoring the safety of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines.
	As well as continuous evaluation of suspected adverse reactions (ADRs) associated with the HPV vaccines reported via the Yellow Card Scheme, the MHRA has also applied statistical techniques using ‘observed versus expected’ analyses of key ADRs of interest to assess safety. The MHRA has recently completed an epidemiological study, using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink, to investigate reports of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) following HPV vaccination. ME/CFS is a naturally-occurring medical condition, and the MHRA's study found no evidence to suggest that the vaccine may be a cause of the condition. The results of this study have been submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
	MHRA's safety analysis of the HPV vaccine has been reviewed by the independent advisory committee, the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM). The CHM has advised that no serious new risks have been identified despite substantial use of the vaccine in the UK and abroad. The benefits of HPV vaccination far outweigh any known side effects.

Lead: Health Hazards

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he intends to meet the Health Protection Agency to discuss the effects on human health of exposure to lead; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: We have no plans to meet the Health Protection Agency (HPA) to discuss the effects on human health of exposure to lead.
	The HPA has issued information on the health effects of lead and on dealing with lead incidents. This can be found at:
	www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAweb&Page&HPAweb AutoListDate/Page/1274087220619

Medicine: Education

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will meet representatives from the Medical Schools Council to discuss their commissioning procedure that selects the company to scan the Situational Judgement tests taken by final year medical students to avoid a repetition of this year's marking error;
	(2)  if he will take steps to avoid a repetition of the error in marking the current year's Situational Judgement tests taken by final year medical students to determine job region allocations.

Daniel Poulter: The Department will work with all parties with an interest in Foundation Programme recruitment to ensure that lessons are learned from this incident and that similar errors do not occur in the future.

Medicine: Education

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will investigate the appropriateness of the decision to have the exam scripts of medical final year students' Situational Judgement tests being double-checked by individual medical schools rather than by an independent body following an error in the scanning process.

Daniel Poulter: To provide reassurance of the process to verify students' correct marks from the Situational Judgment test, the Department invited senior representatives from the independent Academy of Medical Royal Colleges to review the process being undertaken. The Academy representatives declared themselves fully satisfied.

NHS: Finance

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) turnover and (b) account surplus or deficit was of each NHS foundation trust in England in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.

Daniel Poulter: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			 The (a) turnover and (b) account surplus or deficit was of each NHS foundation trust in England in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12 
			 £000 
			    2011-12 2011-12 2010-11 2010-11 2009-10 2009-10 
			 Organisation name MARSID NHS code Operating income from continuing operations Surplus (deficit) for the year Operating income from continuing operations Surplus (deficit) for the year Operating income from continuing operations Surplus (deficit) for the year 
			 5 Boroughs Partnership NHS Foundation Trust 5BOROUGHSPART RTV 152,186 2,972 107,242 2,600 8,988 -35 
			 Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust AINTREE REM 278,121 -7,660 268,331 -7,923 260,230 2,686 
			 Airedale NHS Foundation Trust AIREDALE RCF 138,179 -1,979 106,538 -221 (1)— (1)— 
			 Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust ALDERHEY RBS 189,160 17,024 177,663 13,184 170,519 7,072 
			 Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust ASHFORD RTK 227,423 1,039 75,061 217 (1)— (1)— 
			 Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust BARNSLEY RFF 160,891 468 153,445 -249 154,547 611 
			 Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust BASILDON RDD 270,750 3,816 266,670 -1,198 265,031 -11,798 
		
	
	
		
			 Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust BASINGSTOKE RN5 315,201 -9,733 308,526 1,848 158,259 157 
			 Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust BCH RQ3 223,958 10,814 208,782 6,902 205,067 1,574 
			 Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust BERKSHIREHEALTH RWX 218,575 2,690 116,528 446 115,695 412 
			 Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust BIRMSOLIHULL RXT 223,688 3,957 228,670 -1,648 222,696 -10,261 
			 Birmingham Women's NHS Foundation Trust BIRMWOMEN RLU 88,366 116 90,172 -4,829 86,640 599 
			 Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust BLACKPOOL RXL 284,205 3,317 275,001 -23,093 271,209 -5,404 
			 Bolton NHS Foundation Trust BOLTON RMC 283,129 -12,323 211,035 -7,246 192,774 -4,792 
			 The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust BOURNEMOUTH RDZ 239,763 4,516 234,370 4,041 230,964 3,068 
			 Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust BRADFORD RAE 343,878 7,252 318,021 3,637 305,425 2,449 
			 University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust BRISTOL RA7 533,739 8,985 529,884 14,112 485,642 -9,081 
			 Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust BURTON RJF 171,527 -5,370 146,955 451 142,188 -11,837 
			 Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust CALDERDALE RWY 341,260 3,722 320,574 1,641 309,228 -15,767 
			 Calderstones Partnership NHS Foundation Trust CALDERSTONES RJX 59,677 1,185 59,127 2,045 58,688 2,215 
		
	
	
		
			 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust CAMBPETER RT1 164,075 1,027 157,272 1,644 150,344 -2,468 
			 Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust CAMBRIDGE RGT 617,338 -2,457 590,094 446 555,566 -3,419 
			 Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust CAMDEN TAF 137,393 2,027 142,640 3,095 137,954 2,286 
			 Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust CHELSEA RQM 342,805 13,638 331,895 13,893 308,519 6,961 
			 Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust CHESTER RJR 185,536 -620 179,479 -1,528 171,902 93 
			 Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust CHESTERFIELD RFS 191,386 8,288 186,742 8,840 177,620 7,631 
			 The Christie NHS Foundation Trust CHRISTIE RBV 185,308 -3,295 190,015 7,900 169,555 772 
			 The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust CLATTERBRIDGE REN 75,296 3,369 71,795 4,856 64,599 3,270 
			 Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust CNWL RV3 375,768 13,704 284,963 986 278,441 4,725 
			 Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust COLCHESTER RDE 245,496 12,310 225,123 -2,858 225,020 2,333 
			 Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust CORNWALLPART RJ8 87,239 1,904 75,280 2,321 6,308 36 
			 Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust CUMBRIAPART RNN 167,806 6,984 70,767 1,987 70,537 1,721 
			 Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust CWPART RXA 160,019 3,994 134,570 5,278 131,211 2,550 
		
	
	
		
			 County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust DARLINGTON RXP 476,245 -10,415 341,169 5,922 335,163 -19,476 
			 Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust DERBY RTG 455,259 11,201 422,663 939 414,895 -78,006 
			 Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust DERBYSHIREHEALTH RXM 118,083 -496 18,253 87 (1)— (1)— 
			 Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust DONCASTER RP5 335,759 4,042 330,510 3,571 320,997 1,299 
			 Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust DORSETCOUNTY RBD 148,201 610 147,322 -3,324 145,595 -5,093 
			 Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust DORSETHEALTH RDY 214,339 10,372 88,399 4,439 84,057 1,443 
			 The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust DUDLEY RNA 285,312 627 260,231 157 253,693 1,862 
			 East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust EASTKENT RVV 490,341 8,953 489,036 8,123 462,476 3,645 
			 East London NHS Foundation Trust EASTLONDON RWK 260,976 5,334 255,169 1,486 193,984 405 
			 Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust FRIMLEY RDU 259,835 4,536 247,501 3,306 232,572 5,198 
			 Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust GATESHEAD RR7 189,116 6,404 180,891 2,113 182,053 -1 
			 2gether NHS Foundation Trust GLOSPART RTQ 110,679 2,981 87,087 2,091 84,550 1,662 
			 Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust GLOUCESTER RTE 432,563 2,598 422,376 -4,924 409,729 -20,648 
			 Greater Manchester West Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust GMWEST RXV 154,793 8,402 148,539 2,120 140,794 -14,486 
		
	
	
		
			 Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust GOSH RP4 37,091 4,888 (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital NHS Foundation Trust GUYS RJ1 1,136,426 11,414 995,277 20,819 943,301 1,847 
			 Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust GWSWINDON RN3 290,475 536 202,712 -247 200,882 -6,817 
			 Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust HANTSPART RW1 322,136 2,624 197,643 -1,207 194,878 971 
			 Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust HARROGATE RCD 169,131 887 125,599 -550 123,766 -1,187 
			 Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust HEART RR1 607,030 6,675 561,293 -8,142 541,938 -6,444 
			 Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust HERTSPART RWR 211,684 1,249 212,204 4,284 198,098 -3,185 
			 The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust HILLINGDON RAS 190,291 -3,935 (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust HOMERTON RQX 243,677 5,253 190,871 -521 179,884 3,597 
			 Humber NHS Foundation Trust HUMBER RV9 134,030 1,171 86,952 1,282 14,674 -2,620 
			 Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust HWPH RD7 221,573 -13,874 223,205 -13,240 223,875 -34,205 
			 James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust JAMESPAGET RGP 167,172 2,992 163,908 2,381 163,039 3,480 
			 Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust KETTERING RNQ 189,643 3,367 182,433 359 175,430 -26 
			 King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust KINGS RJZ 628,615 2,084 586,714 1,355 566,013 -1,386 
		
	
	
		
			 Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Foundation Trust KINGSLYNN RCX 165,017 1,050 28,058 839 (1)— (1)— 
			 Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust LANCASHIRECARE RW5 317,721 2,876 190,441 2,147 190,744 -4,851 
			 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust LANCSTEACH RXN 387,271 -3,903 371,487 -4,359 366,819 -31,345 
			 Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust LEEDS RGD 181,166 4,475 127,191 3,615 122,990 732 
			 Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust LINCSPART RP7 97,943 933 95,195 208 94,004 -560 
			 Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust LIVERPOOLHEART RBQ 106,799 588 106,159 860 34,012 171 
			 Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust LIVERPOOLWOMEN REP 94,364 3,427 93,730 981 89,419 1,601 
			 Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Foundation Trust LUTON RC9 220,552 2,495 211,336 2,294 204,905 3,095 
			 Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust MANCHESTER RW3 808,867 56,106 668,911 -3,601 660,552 -179,775 
			 Medway NHS Foundation Trust MEDWAY RPA 227,856 -567 218,740 -3,496 210,877 -8,497 
			 Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust MIDCHESHIRE RBT 173,754 -8,175 170,216 2,612 164,502 1,958 
			 Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust MIDSTAFFS RJD 155,742 -19,911 157,780 -13,967 151,882 -4,748 
			 Milton Keynes Hospital NHS Foundation Trust MILTONKEYNES RD8 163,456 -4,307 156,635 -6,539 152,460 -1,233 
			 Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust MOORFIELDS RP6 150,985 5,764 147,374 10,015 126,001 2,544 
		
	
	
		
			 University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust MORECAMBEBAY RTX 252,271 -15,898 126,754 73 (1)— (1)— 
			 North East London NHS Foundation Trust NELONDON RAT 309,029 3,073 170,313 34 168,476 3,222 
			 The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust NEWCASTLE RTD 858,090 -6,513 784,464 -2,673 742,572 -46,125 
			 Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust NLAG RJL 315,896 1,181 292,327 -6,531 290,052 -11,015 
			 Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust NORTHANTSCARE RP1 185,117 4,900 112,591 -1,824 98,897 -5,357 
			 North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust NORTHEASTAMB RX6 45,248 493 (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 North Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust NORTHESSEX RRD 105,757 833 107,331 -3,673 105,224 -2,302 
			 North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust NORTHTEES RVW 274,754 -13,938 270,249 4,204 257,248 -8,149 
			 Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust NORTHUMBERLAND RX4 307,973 -12,204 313,226 2,948 104,587 -926 
			 Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust NORTHUMBRIA RTF 415,361 -10,365 320,467 35 309,545 -10,119 
			 Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust NORWAVE RMY 221,038 -7,956 222,331 -4,738 131,052 1,148 
			 Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust NORWICH RM1 446,529 14,033 429,319 7,074 401,868 5,006 
			 Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust OXBUCKS RNU 272,509 2,177 175,867 4,659 156,028 -1,545 
			 Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust OXLEAS RPG 200,492 5,121 159,209 3,862 158,350 3,087 
		
	
	
		
			 Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust PAPWORTH RGM 129,291 6,450 123,195 6,045 118,420 4,233 
			 Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust PENNINECARE RT2 241,633 827 138,180 6,446 126,465 -6,489 
			 Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust PETERBOROUGH RGN 207,796 -45,839 223,798 -168,858 207,056 -3,601 
			 Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust POOLE RD3 195,686 116 194,795 1,020 188,721 -13,061 
			 Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust QVH RPC 55,887 674 57,472 -1,001 54,536 -1,044 
			 Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS foundation trust RDASH RXE 170,026 -102 117,828 1,977 114,282 -3,222 
			 Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust RDE RH8 350,594 3,030 350,341 3,727 335,635 6,679 
			 The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust RJAH RL1 57,447 1,042 (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Royal National Hospital For Rheumatic Diseases NHS Foundation Trust RNHRD RBB 21,024 -106 20,112 -279 19,712 64 
			 The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust ROH RRJ 71,242 1,245 70,566 -160 67,581 2,157 
			 The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust ROTHERHAM RFR 232,727 -6,341 184,657 -1,438 178,721 2,855 
			 Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust ROYALBERKSHIRE RHW 317,414 1,016 302,930 2,034 290,675 1,881 
			 Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust ROYALBROMPTON RT3 300,160 1,807 286,174 6,866 221,276 3,567 
			 The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust ROYALMARSDEN RPY 311,586 6,902 257,887 11,926 225,515 3,379 
		
	
	
		
			 Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust ROYALSURREY RA2 239,904 3,582 233,769 5,563 76,185 2,149 
			 Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust SALFORD RM3 393,626 -14,062 329,053 5,835 328,294 -25,465 
			 Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust SALISBURY RNZ 184,525 1,139 180,191 1,904 177,583 1,922 
			 The Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust SANDWELLCARE TAJ 109,386 -527 52,245 -1,082 50,621 121 
			 South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust SCENTRALAMB RYE 12,211 59 (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust SECOASTAMB RYD 170,042 3,486 14,514 376 (1)— (1)— 
			 Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust SHEFFIELDCHILD RCU 149,055 5,417 125,592 908 116,540 1,950 
			 Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust SHEFFIELDHEALTH TAH 122,547 1,991 117,110 2,336 116,149 2,127 
			 Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust SHEFFIELDTEACH RHQ 861,716 7,979 805,830 4,425 787,446 -54,154 
			 Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust SHERWOOD RK5 266,081 4,183 258,494 -140,631 235,876 -44,003 
			 South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust SLAM RV5 364,840 4,785 371,750 6,031 370,332 -2,637 
			 Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust SOMERSETPART RH5 147,192 501 58,036 -3,759 56,744 -1,444 
			 University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust SOUTHAMPTON RHM 277,447 -2,007 (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
		
	
	
		
			 South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust SOUTHDEVON RA9 219,408 -10,255 211,761 -78 206,329 289 
			 Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust SOUTHEND RAJ 250,270 267 249,518 4,406 242,162 -2,056 
			 South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust SOUTHESSEX RWN 314,103 2,351 202,159 4,157 193,581 -7,910 
			 South Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust SOUTHSTAFFS RRE 167,009 -531 161,903 4,066 157,030 -12,738 
			 South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust SOUTHTEES RTR 522,789 -4,792 468,384 -1,305 406,818 -15,384 
			 South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust SOUTHTYNESIDE RE9 217,662 1,623 105,304 745 101,850 -949 
			 Stockport NHS Foundation Trust STOCKPORT RWJ 259,134 3,041 222,891 4,700 218,976 -5,567 
			 City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust SUNDERLAND RLN 306,021 3,783 294,718 2,900 285,639 -1,634 
			 Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust SURREYPART RXX 147,914 -20,247 170,128 -313 174,613 -25,406 
			 Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust SUSSEXPART RX2 236,249 -36,895 224,363 -8,326 229,756 -10,977 
			 South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust SWARKS RJC 204,864 3,022 137,226 2,123 11,768 382 
			 South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust SWESTAMB RYF 126,672 1,645 10,581 97 (1)— (1)— 
			 South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS foundation trust SWYORKSPART RXG 231,055 6,320 128,347 3,326 113,898 986 
		
	
	
		
			 Tameside Hospital NHS Foundation Trust TAMESIDE RMP 145,387 -6,574 145,680 -23,979 139,233 -4,244 
			 Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust TAUNTON RBA 239,391 1,509 238,339 731 231,777 918 
			 Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust TAVIPORT RNK 33,249 -1,077 32,385 90 30,300 651 
			 Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust TEWVALLEYS RX3 271,228 5,692 246,696 6,362 232,305 -60,389 
			 University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust UCLH RRV 773,704 -16,144 744,634 14,682 700,086 -10,972 
			 University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust UHB RRK 586,640 -33,642 536,515 -248,844 496,194 13,781 
			 University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust UHSM RM2 385,780 -1,932 347,676 1,661 333,692 -29,601 
			 The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust WALTON RET 81,202 2,399 75,584 2,310 46,840 1,596 
			 Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust WARRINGTON RWW 201,190 926 198,651 723 194,538 4,010 
			 West Suffolk Hospital NHS Foundation Trust WESTSUFFOLK RGR 53,370 522 (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust WIGAN RRF 246,600 2,904 230,939 4,162 222,337 -2,610 
			 Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust WIRRAL RBL 284,117 2,345 280,245 917 272,777 103 
			 Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust YEOVIL RA4 109,077 797 106,638 -673 104,743 153 
		
	
	
		
			 York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust YORK HOSPITAL RCB 296,435 647 247,781 -584 235,567 -5,553 
			 (1) Not a foundation trust at year end. Notes: 1. IFRS value for “Operating Income from continuing operations” used as a proxy for “Turnover”. 2. IFRS value for “Surplus/(deficit) for the year” used as a proxy for “account surplus or deficit” 3. Where an NHS foundation trust was authorised part way through a financial year the values in its accounts as an FT only include the period it was an NHS foundation trust.

NHS: Redundancy

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of the people who have been made redundant in the NHS since May 2010 have since been re-employed by that body.

Daniel Poulter: The number of people made redundant in the national health service since 1 May 2010 and since re-employed in the NHS is estimated to be 2,200.
	This estimate is based on staff recorded on the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) Data Warehouse as having a reason for leaving as either voluntary or compulsory redundancy between 1 May 2010 and 30 September 2012, and who have a subsequent record on the ESR Data Warehouse up to 30 November 2012.
	The ESR Data Warehouse is a monthly snap shot of the live ESR system. This is the human resource and payroll system that covers all NHS employees other than those working in general practice, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and some NHS staff who have transferred to local authorities and social enterprises.

Obesity

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the role and performance of weight management centres in England; and what plans he has to introduce more such centres.

Anna Soubry: No assessment has been made centrally.
	Primary care trusts are currently responsible for commissioning weight management services to meet the needs of their population. From 1 April, this commissioning responsibility will move to local authorities. We are setting up a new body for public health, Public Health England, to support local authorities over their public health responsibilities, including the identification and spread of good practice.

Obesity

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many NHS trusts (a) have designated and (b) plan to designate in the next 12 months obesity champions;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to promote the establishment of obesity champions in each NHS trust as recommended in the Royal College of Physicians' report Action on Obesity: Comprehensive care for all, published in January 2013.

Anna Soubry: Local health and care organisations are responsible for developing their own strategies to meet local and national priorities for improving health. They are free to create posts to oversee this process, including establishing obesity champions.
	Information about which trusts are developing obesity champion roles is not collected centrally.

Obesity

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he intends to work with the devolved Administrations to tackle obesity.

Anna Soubry: Departmental officials meet regularly with the devolved Administrations to discuss public health issues including obesity.

Obesity

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with (a) the NHS Commissioning Board, (b) relevant national clinical directors and (c) health care stakeholders about implementation of the recommendations of the Royal College of Physicians' report Action on Obesity: Comprehensive care for all, published in January 2013.

Anna Soubry: I met with the President and the Academic Vice President of the Royal College of Physicians to discuss the report ‘Action on Obesity: Comprehensive care for all’ on 6 February.

Obesity and Diabetes

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the new national clinical director for obesity and diabetes will be in place; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: From April, National Clinical Directors are not ministerial or departmental appointments. We understand that a number of successful applicants across a wide range of specialties have been identified by the NHS Commissioning Board, including a new National Clinical Director for Obesity and Diabetes. We expect the Board to make an announcement shortly. These posts are offered part time as secondments and start dates will depend on discussions with substantive employers.

Official Cars

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost of Government cars provided to special advisers in his Department was in each of the last three years.

Daniel Poulter: The cost of Government cars provided to special advisers in each of the last three years was nil.

Parasitic Diseases

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what figures are collected on how many cases of liver fluke come from eating of wild and untreated watercress.

Anna Soubry: The following information on numbers of cases has been provided by the Health Protection Agency (England and Wales), Health Protection Scotland and the Public Health Agency (Northern Ireland).
	In England and Wales there have been 33 laboratory reports of human liver fluke infestation (Fasciola hepatica) between 1999 and 2011 and in Scotland there have been three reports every year since 2010.
	There is no data for Northern Ireland because no information is held on cases of liver fluke by the Public Health Agency.
	Laboratory reports are based on serological evidence of infection which does not necessarily indicate current infection and may represent past exposure. Most of the cases reported in Scotland appear to be associated with foreign travel but for England and Wales cases it is not possible to comment on the association with foreign travel, as this information has not been recorded. No information is available to identify whether any of the cases were attributed to the consumption of wild or untreated watercress.

Prostate Cancer

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the potential merits of bringing forward prostate cancer screening amongst high risk groups.

Anna Soubry: The Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme (PCRMP) Scientific Reference Group keeps the evidence on prostate cancer screening under review, and has not yet seen compelling evidence that screening should be offered to high risk groups. The PCRMP is in place to ensure that men over 50 without symptoms of prostate cancer can have a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test free on the national health service after careful consideration of the advantages and disadvantages of the test and after a discussion with a general practitioner. The patient information sheets on PSA testing make it clear that the risk of prostate cancer is greater for men with a familial history of prostate cancer and black-African and black-Caribbean men:
	The National Cancer Action Team (NCAT) has highlighted the increased risk of prostate cancer in black men through the ‘Cancer Does Not Discriminate’ campaign, including distributing over 200,000 health supplements and an editorial in The Voice newspaper.
	In 2011, the Department, NCAT and Prostate Cancer UK worked with NHS Newham and Barts Health Care Trust to pilot the Newham Prostate Health Drop-in Clinic at the Newham African-Caribbean Resource Centre. 322 men had a consultation at the clinic, 59 were referred to secondary care and nine new diagnoses of early stage prostate cancer were made. The learning gained from a formal evaluation of the pilot is being shared widely with stakeholders within London and across England, including the NHS Commissioning Board.

School Milk

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much his Department has refunded to the European Commission following failed claims under the European Milk Scheme in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  for what reasons his Department ceased claiming the European School Milk Scheme subsidy for the Nursery Milk Scheme.

Daniel Poulter: In 2008 when the European Union rules were extended to cover early years settings, the Department submitted EU milk subsidy claims on behalf of child care providers claiming under the Nursery Milk Scheme. The Department claimed a total of £2,641,271.08 (from October 2008 to April 2010) on behalf of the child care settings but because the child care settings were found to be non-complaint to the EU requirements, the Department was asked to return this amount to the European Commission in 2010.
	The Department did not make any further claims because the EU raised concerns that as the Department cannot guarantee that the child care settings will be complying with the EU milk subsidy claim requirements, it should not make claims on their behalf.

Strokes

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to improve patient access to thrombolysis and interventional radiology services for the treatment of ischaemic stroke;
	(2)  what proportion of patients receiving treatment do so in a hyper-acute stroke unit;
	(3)  whether he plans to produce a progress report on the implementation of the National Stroke Strategy five years after its publication; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what steps his Department is taking to ensure that patients have access to the most appropriate technology for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: Across England, over 85% of stroke patients are spending 90% or more of their hospital stay in a stroke unit.
	The Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Outcomes Strategy, published on 5 March 2013, sets out actions to ensure all CVD patients, including stroke patients, have access to what is recognised as the right treatment and services. A copy of the outcomes strategy has already been placed in the Library.
	The Department has no plans to produce a progress report on the implementation of the National Stroke Strategy.

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Staff

Diana Johnson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities how many staff the Government Equalities Office employed in each of the past five years; how many such staff were employed in London; how many such staff were employed in other regions of England; how many posts moved from London to these regions; and what steps she is taking to move her staff to regional offices.

Helen Grant: The Government Equalities Office (GEO) had the following number of staff in each of the last five years.
	
		
			  Staff 
			 2007-08 88 
			 2008-09 102 
			 2009-10 130 
			 2010-11 107 
			 2011-12 106 
		
	
	The change in staff from 2008-11 reflects the integration of GEO into the Home Office after being a stand-alone Department. Members of GEO work extensively with staff in other Departments across Whitehall and the numbers of staff outlined should not be seen as a reflection of the number that are involved in policy with an equality element.
	All staff worked in London. In a written ministerial statement of 18 December 2012, Official Report, column 96WS, the Prime Minister announced the transfer of GEO from the Home Office to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). DCMS does not have any regional offices.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Developing Countries: Tax Avoidance

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many people in her Department are working on the issue of tax avoidance in developing countries.

Alan Duncan: The Government are committed to helping developing countries tackle tax avoidance and evasion. DFID is currently involved in more than 40 technical assistance and capacity building projects in 20 countries on the issue of tax, details of which can be found in the Government submission to the recent International Development Committee inquiry on taxation and development. Many of these projects include elements related to tackling tax avoidance.
	In addition, officials from Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) carry out technical assistance missions to developing countries related to action on tax avoidance. DFID, HMRC and Treasury staff are also regularly involved in discussions on tax avoidance in developing countries in international forums such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Tax and Development Task Force, the G20 and the Global Forum on Tax Transparency and Exchange of information. The wide range of assistance and variety of ways in which it is provided mean that exact staff numbers cannot readily be obtained.

India

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the aid delivered to India under the Global Poverty Action Fund.

Alan Duncan: The Global Poverty Action Fund currently supports 12 projects in India. All projects are assessed through annual progress reports, a project completion report and an independent evaluation conducted at the close of a project.
	To date only one project in India has been operating for longer than a year. The annual progress report, assessed by sector experts, found that that the project was meeting the targets agreed with DFID at the start of this work.

India

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of India's status on the Impact Window—Organisation and Project Countries list of the Global Poverty Action Fund.

Alan Duncan: The Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening), has ensured that DFID's work through the Global Poverty Action Fund (GPAF) is aligned with the UK's new development relationship with India following her announcement in November 2012.
	In future funding rounds the GPAF will support projects in India that bring unique knowledge, skills and expertise to Indian organisations or which involve work with the private sector to help the poor. As such, Indian organisations will continue to be eligible to apply for funding through the GPAF Impact Window for work in, as well as outside India.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many people resident in each (a) local authority area and (b) parliamentary constituency were recruited to the armed forces in each year since 2009-10;
	(2)  what the average age of recruits to the armed forces in each (a) local authority area and (b) parliamentary constituency was in each year since 2009-10;
	(3)  what the average age of recruits to the armed forces in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales, (c) England and (d) Northern Ireland was in each year since 2009-10;
	(4)  how many people resident in (a) Scotland, (b) Wales, (c) England and (d) Northern Ireland were recruited to the armed forces in each year since 2009-10.

Andrew Robathan: This information is not held centrally. The following table, however, provides the numbers of entrants from recruitment centres around the UK. This will give an indication of the geographical spread of recruitment but does not provide a comprehensive picture of where these individuals may reside as they may not always apply to join the services through their nearest Career Office, and may choose other means by which to apply.
	The following abbreviations are used within the tables:
	AFCO: Armed Forces Careers Office
	ACIO: Army Career Information Office
	ACA: Army Careers Adviser
	OR: Other Rank.
	
		
			 Service recruiting statistics by AFCO/ACIO (ACA for army officers) 
			   2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 
			   Offrs Av. age ORs Av. age Offrs Av. age ORs Av. age Offrs Av. age ORs Av. age 
			 Scotland              
			 Aberdeen AFCO 1 22 73 19 — — 45 20 1 29 59 22 
			 Dundee AFCO 1 28 174 20 — — 104 21 3 25 117 20.5 
			 Dunfermline ACIO — — 69 21 — — 35 20.5 — — 60 21 
			 Kirkcaldy ACIO — — 42 20.5 — — 34 19 — — 35 20 
			 Perth ACIO — — 33 19.5 — — 1 18 — — 23 19 
			 Edinburgh AFCO — — 213 21 — — 110 20.5 2 29 164 21 
			 Bathgate ACIO — — 45 20.5 — — 30 20 — — 34 19 
			 Dumfries ACIO — — 50 19.5 — — 38 19.5 — — 42 19.5 
			 Galashiels ACIO — — 35 19.5 — — 43 19.5 — — 29 20.5 
			 Glasgow AFCO 43 24 342 21 32 22.7 184 21.5 24 24.4 213 20.5 
			 Dumbarton ACIO — — 39 20 — — 21 21 — — 34 20 
			 Hamilton ACIO — — 81 19.5 — — 100 19.5 — — 111 20 
			 Irvine ACIO — — 106 19.5 — — 75 19.5 — — 100 20 
			 Paisley ACIO — — 102 21 — — 55 20.5 — — 81 20 
			 Stirling ACIO — — 90 19 — — 47 19.5 — — 83 20 
			 Inverness AFCO 3 31 75 19.5 — — 99 20 3 33 98 21 
			 Elgin ACIO — — 25 19 — — — — — — — — 
			 ACA HE and Adult  44 24   31 24.5   42 24   
			 ACA Schools and colleges  3 22 — — 2 24 — — 0 — — — 
			               
			 42—North West              
			 Carlisle AFCO 4 27 143 20 3 23 80 21 — — 94 20 
			 Barrow ACIO — — 40 19 — — 30 20.5 — — 39 20 
			 Workington ACIO — — 44 18.5 — — 24 20.5 — — 34 18.5 
			 Kendal Clinic — — 26 20 — — 13 19 — — 24 21 
			 Liverpool AFCO 2 20 483 21 6 24 250 21.5 2 25 306 21.5 
			 Birkenhead ACIO — — 88 20.5 — — 58 20.5 — — 68 20 
			 Chester ACIO — — 79 21 — — 28 20.5 — — 70 21.5 
			 Warrington ACIO — — 104 20.5 — — 53 21 — — 92 20 
			 St Helens ACIO — — 78 20 — — 60 20.5 — — 78 20.5 
			 Wigan ACIO — — 95 20.5 — — 80 20 — — 84 20.5 
			 Kirkby Clinic — — 17 21 — — 23 20 — — 28 21 
			 Crewe Clinic — — 45 20 — — 33 19 — — 52 20.5 
			 Manchester AFCO 94 22.6 556 21 49 23 289 21 40 23 259 21.5 
			 Burnley ACIO — — 118 20 — — 81 20 — — 85 19.5 
			 Oldham ACIO — — 114 20 — — 68 20.5 — — 79 20 
			 Rochdale ACIO — — — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Stockport ACIO — — 108 20.5 — — 60 21.5 — — 85 21 
			 Preston AFCO 7 26 346 20.5 4 28 170 21 2 24 213 21.5 
			 Blackburn ACIO — — 72 20.5 — — 49 20 — — 70 20.5 
			 Blackpool ACIO — — 110 20.5 — — 79 20.5 — — 134 20 
			 Bolton ACIO — — 152 20 — — 73 21.5 — — 117 21 
			 Bury Clinic — — 6 18 — — 45 20 — — 91 19.5 
			 Lancaster ACIO — — 80 19.5 — — 56 20 — — 61 20 
			 ACA HE and Adult  39 24.5 — — 57 24 — — 43 24 — — 
		
	
	
		
			 ACA Schools and colleges  — — — — 2 19.5 — — 1 24 — — 
			               
			 15—North East              
			 Hull AFCO 3 26 342 20.5 2 20 232 20.5 1 30 234 20 
			 Scarborough ACIO — — 38 20 — — 52 19.5 — — 64 19 
			 York ACIO — — 98 20 — — 83 21 — — 92 20 
			 Middlesbrough AFCO 6 24 339 20 3 24 179 21 2 27 210 21.5 
			 B Auckland ACIO — — 54 19.5 — — 34 19.5 — — 26 20 
			 Darlington ACIO — — 134 20 — — 89 20 — — 119 20 
			 Durham ACIO — — 60 20.5 — — 67 20 — — 59 19.5 
			 Catterick ACIO — — 63 21 — — 32 20 — — 42 21 
			 Newcastle AFCO 8 24 449 20.5 2 23 228 20.5 — — 209 20.5 
			 Ashington ACIO — — 64 20 — — 43 19.5 — — 55 20 
			 South Shields ACIO — — 67 20 — — 40 18.5 — — 51 20.5 
			 Sunderland ACIO — — 94 19.5 — — 58 19.5 — — 68 20 
			 Leeds AFCO 23 23 455 20.5 11 24 283 21 6 24 279 21 
			 Bradford ACIO — — 155 20.5 — — 117 20 — — 123 20 
			 Halifax ACIO — — 62 19.5 — — 44 20 — — 58 20 
			 Huddersfield ACIO — — 72 20 — — 74 20 — — 75 21 
			 Wakefield ACIO — — 128 20 — — 63 20.5 — — 97 20 
			 Sheffield AFCO 9 23 392 20.5 7 25 188 20.5 — — 188 20 
			 Barnsley ACIO — — 109 20 — — 63 19 — — 79 19.5 
			 Doncaster ACIO — — 127 20 — — 90 20.5 — — 101 20 
			 ACA HE and Adult  54 24 — — 49 24 — — 56 24 — — 
			 ACA Schools and colleges  — — — — 2 21.5 — — 1 20 — — 
			               
			 160—Wales              
			 Cardiff AFCO 12 25 283 20.5 7 27 160 21.5 5 26 199 21 
			 Abergavenny ACIO — — 1 17.5 — — 11 20.5 — — 28 19.5 
			 Newport ACIO — — 99 20 — — 64 19.5 — — 89 20 
			 Pontypridd ACIO — — 72 21 — — 35 21.5 — — 72 20 
			 Swansea AFCO 5 24 269 20 1 23 96 20.5 2 26 152 21 
			 Brigend ACIO — — 42 21 — — 24 20 — — 28 20 
			 Carmarthen ACIO — — 42 19.5 — — 26 20 — — 33 19.5 
			 H West Clinic — — 35 19.5 — — 19 19 — — 31 19 
			 Wrexham AFCO 8 24 219 19.5 8 26 135 20 2 24 130 20.5 
			 Bangor ACIO — — 73 19.5 — — 40 20.5 — — 73 20 
			 Rhyl ACIO — — 99 20.5 — — 61 20.5 — — 72 20 
			 ACA 1 Wales (North)  9 23.5 — — 15 23 — — 11 23.5 — — 
			 ACA 1 Wales (South)  10 24.5 — — 16 24 — — 9 23.5 — — 
			               
			 143—West Midlands              
			 Birmingham AFCO 61 22.7 488 20.5 47 22.7 289 22 33 23 304 21 
			 Coventry ACIO 5 25 276 20.5 4 23 182 21 1 27 159 20.5 
			 Wolverhampton ACIO — — 223 21.5 — — 151 21.5 — — 173 20.5 
			 Shrewsbury AFCO 14 27 212 21 4 24 125 21 2 32 158 21.5 
			 Hereford ACIO — — 80 20 — — 68 21 — — 71 21 
			 Worcester ACIO — — 150 20 — — 68 20 — — 92 20.5 
			 Stoke AFCO 1 22 406 21 6 25 212 20.5 — — 214 21 
			 Burton ACIO — — 101 20.5 — — 86 20 — — 106 20 
			 ACA 1 (HE and Adult) West Midlands  47 23.5 — — 21 24.5 — — 37 23.5 — — 
		
	
	
		
			 ACA 1 (Schools and colleges) West Midlands  4 22 — — 3 21.5 — — 1 21 — — 
			               
			 49—East              
			 Cambridge AFCO 3 31 166 21 7 32 93 21 — — 148 21.5 
			 Peterborough AFCO 61 23.5 223 20.5 58 24 129 20.5 56 24.5 124 20.5 
			 Luton ACIO 1 24 184 21 — — 91 20.5 — — 133 21.5 
			 Leicester AFCO 5 24 290 20 2 20 134 21 1 21 162 21 
			 Northampton ACIO — — 190 21 — — 115 21 — — 152 21.5 
			 Lincoln AFCO 270 28 343 20 146 25.5 135 20.5 69 30 225 20.5 
			 Boston ACIO — — 52 19.5 — — 18 19.5 — — 39 20.5 
			 Grimsby ACIO — — 90 20 — — 85 20.5 — — 82 20 
			 Southend AFCO 5 21 95 20.5 3 20 53 22 — — 60 20.5 
			 Chelmsford ACIO — — 118 20.5 — — 58 21.5 — — 75 21.5 
			 Colchester ACIO — — 79 21.5 — — 36 22.5 — — 78 21 
			 Nottingham AFCO 14 25 363 20 12 24.5 166 21 9 23.5 243 21.5 
			 Chesterfield ACIO — — 72 19 — — 47 20 — — 74 19.5 
			 Derby ACIO — — 167 20 — — 99 20 — — 127 20 
			 Mansfield ACIO — — 123 19.5 — — 55 20 — — 113 19.5 
			 Norwich AFCO 7 26 233 21 8 25 129 21.5 2 26 194 20.5 
			 Ipswich ACIO — — 118 21 — — 77 21 — — 99 21 
			 ACA 1 (HE and adult) East  44 23.5 — — 56 24.5 — — 53 24 — — 
			 ACA 1 (Schools and colleges) East Anglia  12 23 — — 5 21 — — 20 23 — — 
			 ACA 1 (Schools and colleges) East Midlands  1 19 — — 5 20 — — 2 21 — — 
			               
			 2/145—South East              
			 Brighton AFCO 11 22 267 21 3 26 206 21 1 25 257 21 
			 Chichester ACIO — — 36 20.5 — — 24 20 — — 45 20.5 
			 Chatham AFCO 8 24 222 20.5 1 20 106 21 2 31 133 20.5 
			 Canterbury ACIO — — 45 20 — — 49 21 — — 46 22 
			 Dover ACIO — — 75 20.5 — — 27 24.5 — — 47 21.5 
			 Tunbridge ACIO — — 14 20 — — 20 20.5 — — 16 20 
			 Portsmouth AFCO 58 26.5 349 21.5 78 27 230 20.5 97 30.5 167 21 
			 Aldershot ACIO — — 122 21.5 — — 85 21.5 — — 79 21.5 
			 Newport IoW ACIO — — 30 20.5 — — 8 20 — — 3 21 
			 Southampton ACIO — — 154 20.5 — — 95 20.5 — — 96 21 
			 Reading AFCO — — 129 22 — — 91 23.5 — — 105 21.5 
			 Guildford ACIO — — 56 21.6 — — 78 20.5 — — 70 21.2 
			 Oxford ACIO 33 25 121 20.5 15 26 88 21 8 27 88 21 
			 Milton Keynes ACIO — — 44 20.5 — — 52 21 — — 69 21 
			 ACA 1 (HE and Adult) South East  62 23.5 — — 50 24 — — 86 24 — — 
			 ACA 1 (Schools and colleges) Home Counties  3 21.5 — — 3 24 — — 1 24.5 — — 
			 ACA 1 (Schools and colleges) South East  8 23.5 — — 6 21.5 — — 9 22 — — 
			               
		
	
	
		
			 43—Wessex              
			 Bournemouth AFCO 4 22 236 21.5 9 24 131 22.5 3 30 261 21.5 
			 Salisbury ACIO — — 71 20.5 — — 50 20.5 — — 71 21 
			 Bristol AFCO 19 25 279 21 5 26 128 22 1 26 145 21 
			 Bath Clinic — — 8 21 — — 14 21.5 — — 32 22 
			 Exeter AFCO 9 24 232 20.5 3 22 106 20.5 4 26 133 21 
			 Barnstaple ACIO — — 35 21 — — 15 20 — — 31 20 
			 Taunton ACIO — — 126 20.5 — — 69 20.5 — — 83 21.5 
			 Torquay ACIO — — 46 20 — — 26 21 — — 46 21 
			 Gloucester AFCO 11 24 217 21.5 2 23 123 21 6 24 130 21 
			 Swindon Clinic — — 45 21 — — 20 22 — — 29 22 
			 Plymouth AFCO 66 23 306 20.5 35 23.5 151 20.5 45 22.5 187 21.5 
			 Redruth AFCO 1 31 176 20.5 — — 84 21.5 — — 80 21.5 
			 ACA 1 (HE and Adult) Wessex  27 24 — — 52 24 — — 67 23.5 — — 
			 ACA 1 (Schools and colleges) South West  6 22 — — 6 24 — — 6 24 — — 
			 ACA 1 (Schools and colleges) Wessex  12 24 — — 10 25 — — 15 24 — — 
			               
			 London district              
			 London AFCO 99 23.2 247 22.5 96 23.5 160 23 85 23.1 199 23 
			 Bromley ACIO — — 97 22 — — 52 22 — — 80 22 
			 Croydon ACIO — — 106 21.5 — — 68 22 — — 93 22.5 
			 Herford Clinic — — 29 20 — — 25 19.5 — — 43 20 
			 Ilford ACIO — — 175 22 — — 76 22.5 — — 103 23.5 
			 Victoria (R. Row) ACIO — — 185 25.5 — — 53 24.5 — — 78 25.5 
			 Wembley ACIO — — 127 22.5 — — 51 23.5 — — 57 23.5 
			 ACA 1 (HE and Adult) London  64 24.5 — — 72 24.5 — — 52 25 — — 
			 ACA 1 (Schools and colleges) London  1 19.5 — — 4 23.5 — — 1 20.5 — — 
			               
			 38—Northern Ireland              
			 Belfast AFCO 10 24 203 22 10 22.8 163 21 5 24 149 21 
			 Enniskillen ACIO — — 66 21 — — 59 22 — — 75 22 
			 Coleraine ACIO — — 42 20 — — 27 20 — — 43 21 
			 Portadown ACIO — — 67 21.5 — — 39 22 — — 58 21.5 
			 ACA 1 Northern Ireland  14 24   18 24.5   20 24.5

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many visits the armed forces made to (a) state secondary schools, (b) independent schools and (c) colleges in each (i) local authority area and (ii) parliamentary constituency in 2011-12.

Andrew Robathan: This information is not held in the format requested.

HMS Albion

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the nature of costs incurred to keep HMS Albion on extended readiness was.

Philip Dunne: A period of work was conducted on HMS Albion from November 2011 to March 2012 to prepare the vessel to enter extended readiness in April 2012. The cost of this preparatory work was some £3 million.

Ministerial Policy Advisers

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what procedures are in place within his Department to deal with breaches of the code of conduct for special advisers.

Philip Hammond: Matters relating to Special Advisers are handled in accordance with the Ministerial Code, the Model Contract and Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.

RAF Menwith Hill

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people were stopped and searched by the Counter Terrorist Unit at NSA Menwith Hill between 2000 and 2012; and for what reasons such people were stopped and searched.

James Brokenshire: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Home Department.
	Data on the main stop and search powers used by police in England and Wales are published by the Home Office on an annual basis in the National Statistics series 'Police Powers and Procedures' and are only provided at police force area. Latest published data cover the period up to the financial year 2010-11 and are included in the latest internet-only release, which is available via:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/police-research/police-powers-procedures-201011/
	Provisional data for 2011-12 on searches under S44/47A of the Terrorism Act 2000, are also published as a part of the Official Statistics series 'Operation of police powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 and subsequent legislation: Arrests, outcomes and stop and searches Great Britain 2011-12'. Latest published data are for 2011-12 and are included in the latest internet-only release, which is available via:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/counter-terrorism-statistics/hosb1112/
	Data published in these releases are broken down to police force area level only, therefore from centrally reported data it is not possible to determine the number of persons stopped and searched at specific locations within police force areas.
	Available data relating to the number of searches of persons under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000, to determine whether a person is carrying articles of a kind which could be used in connection with terrorism in the North Yorkshire police force area, where Menwith Hill is located, are provided in the following table. It is not possible to determine the exact number of these searches conducted at specific locations from information held centrally.
	
		
			 Stops and searches of persons under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000(1) in North Yorkshire police force area 2000-01 to 2011-12 
			  Number of stops and searches 
			 2000-01 — 
			 2001-02 8 
			 2002-03 110 
			 2003-04 68 
		
	
	
		
			 2004-05 195 
			 2005-06 222 
			 2006-07 206 
			 2007-08 216 
			 2008-09 167 
			 2009-10 154 
			 2010-11 29 
			 2011-12 — 
			 (1) Searches to determine whether a person is carrying articles of a kind which could be used in connection with terrorism.

JUSTICE

Cigarette Lighter Refill (Safety) Regulations 1999

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions have been made for offences under the Cigarette Lighter Refill (Safety) Regulations 1999 in each year since their introduction.

Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database holds information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales. This database holds information on offences provided by the statutes under which proceedings are brought but not the specific circumstances of each case. In this instance it is not possible to identify from centrally held information prosecutions and convictions for offences under the Cigarette Lighter Refill (Safety Regulations) as these data are categorised and coded together with other offences under the Consumer Protection Act 1987, Fireworks (Safety) Regulations 1997 and Fireworks (Safety) Regulations 1986.

Civil Partnerships

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many civil unions have been conducted to date.

Helen Grant: There is currently no status of civil union in England and Wales. However, the total number of civil partnerships formed in the UK between December 2005 when the Civil Partnership Act 2004 came into force and the end of 2011, is 53,417.
	Source:
	ONS, Statistical Data: Civil Partnerships in the UK, 2011.

Community Orders

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice under the Government's proposals for outsourcing of probation tasks, who will be responsible for dealing with the breaching of community orders if the person is being supervised by a private provider.

Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice has recently published the consultation paper “Transforming Rehabilitation—a revolution in the way we manage offenders” which sets out proposals for driving down reoffending by extending rehabilitative provision, opening up service delivery and paying by results.
	We proposed in our consultation paper that the public sector and contracted providers will work together to handle cases where offenders breach the requirements of their community order or suspended sentence order. We proposed that providers will be obliged to report material breaches of community orders, suspended sentence requirements and licence conditions to the public sector, who will then advise the court or Secretary of State. We did, however, note that it is the case now that straightforward breach cases involving offenders serving a standalone curfew requirement are dealt with directly by the contracted provider and we undertook to consider the applicability of similar arrangements as we develop our new system.
	This system will require the effective communication of information between providers and the public sector. It should be noted that it is already the case that the private, voluntary and community sectors deliver some interventions for those who have been sentenced to community orders and that such effective communication already takes place in practice.
	The consultation closed on 22 February 2013 and we will set out further details of how we will reform the way we manage offenders once we have considered responses.

Dog Control Orders

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many magistrates in England and Wales are trained to deal with dog control cases.

Helen Grant: All magistrates have received the relevant training to deal with dangerous dog cases. Joint guidance was issued to them in February 2010 by the Justice's Clerks Society and the Department for the Environment and Rural Affairs. In 2012 the Sentencing Council issued new guideline to provide clear guidance to judges and magistrates to encourage consistency in sentencing and appropriate sentences for owners of dangerous dogs.

Employment and Support Allowance: Appeals

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many staff were employed by the Courts and Tribunals Service to deal with appeals against decisions on entitlement of employment and support allowance in each month since June 2011 in (a) the UK and (b) Scotland.

Helen Grant: The First-tier Tribunal—Social Security and Child Support (SSCS), administered by HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) hears appeals against Department for Work and Pensions decisions on entitlement to employment and support allowance (ESA) decisions.
	The SSCS Tribunal hears appeals on a range of benefits, of which ESA is one and SSCS Tribunal staff will be involved with processing the range of appeals heard by the tribunal. It is therefore not possible to supply the numbers of staff employed to deal with appeals against decisions on entitlement to ESA.
	While I have previously provided information to the hon. Member on the numbers of staff employed in the SSCS Tribunal, increases in the number of staff working in multi-jurisdictional centres and moving between HMCTS offices supporting different jurisdictions mean that accurate data is no longer available. It is therefore not possible to supply the exact number of administrative staff employed in relation to the SSCS Tribunal without checking the specific duties of each individual member of staff, which would be at disproportionate cost. I have written to the hon. Member to explain the position in more detail.

Food: Waste

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much surplus food was thrown away by his Department in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.

Jeremy Wright: There is no central record of surplus food thrown away which covers the whole of the Ministry of Justice estate and the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	MOJ Headquarters constantly reviews its food use to keep waste to a minimum. All waste, including food waste, is segregated at source. All food waste is sent away to be turned into compost that is then used in the agricultural industry. This ensures that surplus food is not wasted.

G4S

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what consideration his Department gave to the performance of G4S in delivering security for the London 2012 Olympic Games in its decision to award a contract to that company to monitor medium-risk criminals on their release from prisons.

Jeremy Wright: No consideration was given, as the decision to award the Contract to G4S for the provision of Transitional Support Service (TSS) in Wales was made in November 2011. Therefore, this decision was made prior to the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Human Trafficking

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 5 February 2013, Official Report, column 196W, on human trafficking, 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to map the local authority areas in which victims of modern slavery for the purposes of ascertaining geographical trends and trends in the type of live exploitation; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  for what reasons he has concluded that providing the local authority area in which victims were discovered would put them at risk.

Helen Grant: As Victims' Minister and a member of the Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group on Human Trafficking I support the Government's objective to improve the collection of data. However, under its contract with the Ministry of Justice the Salvation Army is not required to collate trend mapping data as in the majority of cases it is not directly responsible for rescuing victims from their trafficking situation.
	The Government is focusing on improving its collection of data on human trafficking victims to strengthen the UK's response to this crime. As the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. Friend the Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling), explained in his answer of 5 February 2013, Official Report, column 196W, the safety of identified victims is of the utmost importance and publishing information on the local authority area where they were referred through to the Salvation Army could result in them being rediscovered by their trafficker. It could also endanger any other victims harboured by them.

Legal Aid Scheme

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much legal aid was paid out in (a) the case of Al-Rawi and others v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and (b) mediation associated with that case; to which legal firms and barristers those payments were made; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Wright: As stated by the then Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke), on 16 November 2010, Official Report, column 752, details of the mediated settlement of the civil damages claims brought by detainees held at Guantanamo Bay were made subject to a legally binding confidentiality agreement; this includes any detail about legal costs. The Legal Services Commission is bound by that confidentiality agreement and is therefore unable to comment.

Protection of Badgers Act 1992

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been prosecuted for offences under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 in each of the last five years.

Jeremy Wright: The number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, in England and Wales, for the period 2007 to 2011 (the latest available), can be viewed in the table.
	Court proceedings data for 2012 are planned for publication in May 2013.
	
		
			 Persons proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992(1), England and Wales, 2007-11(2, 3) 
			 Outcome 2007 2008(4) 2009 2010 2011 
			 Proceeded against 30 36 50 48 58 
			 (1 )The Protection of Badgers Act 1992 consolidated the Badgers Act 1973, the Badgers Act 1991 and the Badgers (Further Protection) Act 1991. (2) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice.

Reoffenders: Kent

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the reoffending rates of prisoners resident in (a) Dartford and (b) Kent.

Jeremy Wright: The following table presents the proven re-offending rates for adult offenders in Dartford and Kent who were released from custody in the 12 months ending March 2011.
	
		
			 Local authority Proportion of offenders who re-offend (percentage) 
			 Dartford 50.9 
			 Kent 47.1 
		
	
	The local authority area is based on where an offender resides when they committed their most recent offence.
	A proven re-offence is defined as any offence committed in a one year follow-up period and receiving a court conviction, caution, reprimand or warning in the one year follow-up. Following this one year period, a further six month waiting period is allowed for cases to progress through the courts.

Small Claims

Jonathan Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions he has had with the insurance industry about increasing the small claims track limit; and if he will make a statement.

Helen Grant: No discussions have been held with the insurance industry about increasing the small claims limit by the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. Friend the Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling), or myself.
	The small claims track financial threshold will increase from £5,000 to £10,000 on 1 April 2013, as announced by the then Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke), in March 2012, following the publication of the Solving Disputes in the County Court consultation response. The MOJ received a number of representations on this issue during the course of the consultation process, including responses from insurers and representatives of the insurance industry.
	In addition, MOJ officials have met with a wide range of stakeholders as part of the consultation process, including representatives from the insurance industry, in relation to the "Reducing the number and costs of whiplash claims—A consultation on arrangements concerning whiplash injuries in England and Wales." The consultation opened on 11 December 2012 and is due to close 8 March 2013, after which the Government's response will be published in spring 2013.

Written Questions

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether the procedure and sign-off process for responding to parliamentary questions in his Department includes review by special advisers.

Jeremy Wright: Ministers are responsible and accountable for all answers to parliamentary questions. Special Advisers may provide advice to Ministers, as outlined in the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Arts and Culture

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent assessment she has made of the economic contribution of (a) dance organisations, (b) theatre organisations, (c) visual arts organisations, (d) museums, (e) libraries and archives, (f) music organisations and (g) the creative industries to the UK economy.

Edward Vaizey: The latest DCMS estimates show the creative industries contributed £36.3 billion to the economy in 2009, exported £8.9 billion in creative services in 2009 and employed 1.5 million people in 2010. Music, Visual and Performing Arts contributed £4 billion to the UK economy in GVA terms in 2009. However, the cultural sector delivers wider benefits in the creative industries and the wider economy by developing skills and providing a safe ground for innovation.
	
		
			 Creative Industries GVA 2008-09 
			  2008 2009 
			 Sector Gross Value Added (GVA) (£ million) Proportion of total UK GVA (%) Gross Value Added (GVA) (£ million) Proportion of total UK GVA (%) 
			 1. Advertising 7,160 0.55 5,990 0.48 
			 2. Architecture 3,650 0.28 3,290 0.26 
			 3. Art and Antiques 310 0.02 260 0.02 
			 4. Crafts 0 0 0 0 
			 5. Design 1,660 0.13 1,790 0.14 
			 6. Designer Fashion 110 0.01 120 0.01 
			 7. Film, Video and Photography 2,680 0.21 3,000 0.24 
			 9. and 10. Music and Visual and Performing Arts 3,740 0.29 4,070 0.32 
			 11. Publishing 11,610 0.90 11,560 0.92 
			 8. and 12. Software and Electronic Publishing 570 0.04 560 0.04 
			 8. and 12. Digital and Entertainment Media 160 0.01 400 0.03 
			 13. TV and Radio 4,950 0.38 5,260 0.42 
			 Total GVA for Creative Industries 36,600 2.82 36,290 2.89 
			 Total GVA for all UK Industries 1,295,633 — 1,256,932 — 
		
	
	The Arts Council England have commissioned research to produce an evidence-based understanding of the direct, indirect and wider contribution that arts and culture, including museums, make to the national economy; this is expected to be published in early summer 2013.

Broadband: Rural Areas

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the effect of there not being regulated access to BT's ducts and poles for mobile network operators on the rollout of 4G mobile networks in rural areas;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the effect of the rollout of 4G networks to rural areas of there not being regulated access to BT's poles and ducts for mobile network operators similar to that offered to fixed line broadband providers.

Edward Vaizey: I have not made any assessment of the effect of there not being regulated access to BT's ducts and poles for mobile operators. Ofcom is responsible for regulating access to BTs network, including the network of ducts and poles, and considers this as part of the regular reviews it carries out to assess the different markets, in particular the Wholesale Local Access Review and the Business Connectivity Market Review.

Broadband: Rural Areas

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will undertake or commission research on the likely increase in rural superfast mobile broadband if charges for access to BT's ducts and poles were reduced.

Edward Vaizey: Ofcom is responsible for regulating access to BT's network, including the network of ducts and poles, which includes determining whether the price charged for access is fair and proportionate. Ofcom incorporated an indoor coverage obligation in one of the 800 MHz lots of spectrum that were recently auctioned. The winner of this lot is Telefonica UK Ltd. This operator is obliged to provide 4G mobile services for indoor coverage to at least 98% of the UK population and at least 95% of the population of each of the UK nations, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, by the end of 2017. With it being easier to provide coverage outdoors, this obligation should result in more than 99% outdoor coverage for the UK population. Towards the end of 2013, Ofcom will be publishing details of the areas and broadband speeds that each operator is providing on their 4G networks.

Defamation

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will assess the potential benefits of bringing forward amendments to the Defamation Bill to provide greater protection of the families of victims of murder or culpable homicide who have experienced falsehoods being disseminated as fact by the media.

Helen Grant: I am replying as this matter falls within the responsibilities of the Ministry of Justice.
	The issue of defamation of deceased persons, such as homicide victims, has been debated in both Houses of Parliament during the passage of the Defamation Bill. The Government opposed amendments in both Houses and does not believe that a change in the law to permit claims by the families of deceased persons is appropriate. This would undermine the long-standing legal principle that a deceased person cannot be defamed because reputation is personal.
	Defamation is a devolved matter in Scotland that the Scottish Government has separately consulted on this matter. So far as I know, they have not yet reached any conclusions.

Football: Israel

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make representations to the Football Association that the England team should withdraw from the UEFA under-21 finals in Israel as a result of the refusal of the government of Israel to co-operate with the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Hugh Robertson: holding answer 25 February 2013
	This is a matter for the Israeli Football Association and UEFA. The UK Government and the Football Association supports UEFA's decision to award the Under 21 Championships to Israel.

Sports: Facilities

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to encourage individuals to use local sports and leisure facilities.

Hugh Robertson: Sport England is investing in making facilities attractive and accessible to users through the Places People Play programme and further lottery investment for new and improved facilities. By 2017, the total investment into facilities will be over £250 million.

Tour de France

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the potential contribution to the economy in (a) Yorkshire and (b) the UK of the Tour de France in 2014;
	(2)  what support her Department plans to provide to ensure that the economic benefits to the UK of the Tour de France in 2014 are maximised.

Hugh Robertson: holding answer 28 February 2013
	The Government has not made any specific assessment of the impact of the 2014 Tour de France in Yorkshire. Welcome to Yorkshire submitted their bid independently, and as part of that, developed their own economic impact study. UK Sport are working with Welcome to Yorkshire to assess what support they can give to the event.